Invitation of the Charm Lord
by gapfiller
Summary: There's more than meets the eye when the Charm Lord throws a party, as Emelia is about to find out
1. Arrival of the Guest

Invitation of the Charm Lord  
  
Note: This takes place just after "Mindless Manhattan Massacre". Also, if anyone could direct me to a site that has some good Saga Frontier fanfics, I'd be grateful. I can't find a thing on those search engines!  
  
"Hold on to my hand. Do not let go."  
  
It was funny how Ildon had commanded her to do that, yet it was he who grabbed onto her hand, Emelia thought to herself. The mystic's hands were icy, even through his velvet glove, but she held onto the hand and prepared herself.  
  
She'd never teleported anywhere in her life, so it was a bit of a shock. One moment, she was just outside the Manhattan Travel Office and then the world began to grow hazy. She saw a couple coming up to the office as things faded. They might have been staring, but she couldn't tell. Her vision had grown so hazy, she couldn't make out their faces.  
  
The haze shifted suddenly. The bright blue and clean white of the Manhattan sky and skyline gave way to a deep, dark purple that surrounded her. She thought she saw some sort of blue light in the corner of her eye. The world came into focus suddenly. At the same time, Ildon's hand suddenly lifted from hers, snatching itself out of her grasp. Her surroundings were as far away from the clean, modern smoothness of Manhattan's structures as anything she could imagine.  
  
She was standing in a large, circular room. Actually, it seemed more like a great, hollowed out cave. Everything around her was cast in stone and crystal. Shadowed alcoves lay in wait all around the room behind numerous arches of smoothed stone. The place was lit not by electricity or fire, but by delicately cut crystals resting atop poles. Most were shaped like roses. Staring at a blue crystal, Emelia saw a strange, powerful light glimmering at the center. The light expanded and receeded as evenly as she took her breath. As it did so, it shifted colors: blue to green and back again. She felt that it could have burnt a hole through her eyes if she stared for too long.  
  
"Where are we?" Emelia said, shaking her eyes from the crystal. She looked at the floor. A mosaic of tiles covered the stone ground, forming a grand picture of a rose. It might have looked pretty if someone had bothered to give the floor a good cleaning and polishing. As it was, it looked like the floor hadn't seen a mop in ages.  
  
"Facinaturu," Ildon replied, straightening his glove.  
  
"Realm of the Mystics?" Emelia asked.  
  
"No, the *other* Facinaturu."  
  
Emelia cocked an eyebrow. She'd never known Ildon to have a sense of sarcasm, but she hadn't known him long. She kept looking around the room, not sure what she had gotten herself into. She was in a realm she never thought existed, talking to a being most people thought only existed in fairy tales. Up to only a few months ago, Emelia had thought that mystics were just creatures that old, superstitious people believed in. And here she was in Facinaturu, the mystics' fabled, timeless realm, invited to a party by Charm Lord Asellus, someone she hadn't seen in months. In fact, Emelia didn't even know that Asellus was lord of anything until a few minutes ago when she was talking to Ildon outside the Manhattan Travel Office.  
  
Well, better here than back in Manhattan, Emelia guessed. There was nothing but trouble waiting back there. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she might have been better off staying in Manhattan. Acting on instinct, she fingered the barrels of her twin Aguni-CP1s she kept with her. Still warm from helping her escape that trouble in Manhattan. Life could take some strange and sudden turns.  
  
Emelia shrugged to herself. If life had taught her anything, it was that there wasn't much she could do except roll with the punches thrown her way. "So where's the party?"  
  
"Not yet. Lord Asellus is still gathering her guests."  
  
"So where is 'Lord' Asellus?"  
  
"Right here."  
  
Emelia turned to the voice. Asellus stepped from one of the shadowed alcoves, as if she had materialized from the darkness itself. She looked different from the last time they'd met. She was dressed much more elaborately than before. Her simple, but elegant purple dress had been given up in favor of a blooming gown of the same color that made her look like a giant, graceful flower. All sorts of jewelry hung from her head and body: necklaces; earrings; small, precious gems and stones sewn onto her gown. All the trinkets caught the crystal light with each step she took. She twinkled with every movement.  
  
Her hair, once neat, simple, and neck length, was tied back into a tight green bun. She also seemed a bit paler than last time. But it was her face that set her apart the most. She looked so confident and sure of herself, but also a little cold. She moved with a calm and easy grace that seemed natural for her. She just about floated across the floor as she approached.  
  
The last time they had met, Asellus was an alert and nervous girl, constantly on edge. Her only source of comfort seemed to be her travelling companion, White Rose. Small wonder, since they were constantly under threat of attack by other mystics sent after them. Emelia didn't know the full story behind why that was so, but she did help them fend off two of their attackers: the mighty Princess Lion and the dangerous Ciato. And from what she had heard, there were several others who came before them. It had to have been a tough life, on the run, never knowing that with your next step, a shadowy form might materialize in front of you, ready to take your life.  
  
Then again, Emelia could relate. She never knew when the Joker was going to cross her path back then. He haunted her life for far too long. But now he was gone and now it looked like Asellus didn't have to worry about mystics coming after her. Guess they shared a few things in common.  
  
Asellus held out her arms and they embraced. Emelia stiffened when she felt the coldness of Asellus's body. She never thought she'd ever felt a body so cold in her life. It chilled her and she shivered even as she patted Asellus on the back. They let go, much to Emelia's relief.  
  
Asellus didn't seem to notice any of this. She stepped back and smiled, her eyes focused into hers. Her gaze was confident, self-assured, even a little sinister. She looked as if she knew a secret that Emelia should have been in on.  
  
"I'm so glad you could make it, Emelia. But what happened to you?" she asked. "You're a mess." She eyed Ildon for a moment.  
  
Emelia shrugged and straightened out her long, blonde hair and patted off the dust from her dress. "Ran into a little trouble before Ildon picked me up."  
  
"Ah." Asellus spun around, gazing at something along the walls. She started to pace around her, taking in her form from all angles. Emelia guessed she liked what she saw. That smile was still there.  
  
Emelia craned her neck as Asellus circled around her, starting to wonder if she'd just made the biggest and final mistake of her life in coming here. "So...those problems you were having last time we met. That...turn out well?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Very much so." Asellus finished her circle and focused her eyes into hers once again. "And you? Still playing secret agent?"  
  
"That's behind me." Emelia said, setting her face. She hadn't revealed too much of herself to Asellus in the time they'd known each other. She never did tell Asellus just how she came to work for Gradius, never told her about Ren or the Joker or her time in Despair Prison. Mainly, she just tagged along on Asellus's journey, helping her along, letting herself get sidetracked from her duties in Gradius. But now it was all behind her thanks to a single bullet through the Joker's face.  
  
Asellus nodded. "That's good." She paused and licked her lips. "Listen. I must greet some of the other guests. We'll catch up later at the party. Ildon, go get her some decent clothes." With that, she faded from sight. Even as she disappeared, she still had that creepy smile on her lips.  
  
All through the conversation, Ildon had been standing stiffly, staring straight ahead, as if he had nothing better to do than wait for his next command. "Come."  
  
It was a simple command and Emelia followed, all the while taking in the sights this place had to offer. Everything around her was stone, crystal, and roses. While there were a great deal of crystals lighting the cavernous rooms, there never seemed to be enough light in this place. It wasn't until she stepped out past the great, vine and rose ensnared iron gates of the front that she realized that she had been inside Chateau Aiguille.  
  
It also wasn't until she stepped out that she saw the sky. It was a deep, rich purple, with waves rippling through the heavy, colored clouds. It certainly wasn't a skyline she'd ever seen before. She couldn't see any sign of a sun, a moon, anything that could have served as a source of light besides the sky itself.  
  
The town that waited below was tiny, pathetic compared to the great expanses inside the Chateau. The whole town could actually fit into some of the larger halls of Aiguille. Ildon stepped through one of the buildings.  
  
The man inside was dressed in a finely tailored suit, he looked more like a whipped slave when he laid eyes on Ildon. He sprang up from his counter and strode towards the mystic, asking in a nervous voice, "Yes? What may my humble self do for you, noble mystic?"  
  
"Get this woman a dress. She is an honored guest of Lord Asellus." Emelia was pretty sure that last part was a warning.  
  
"L - Lord Asellus?!" The tailor had to compose himself. "Of course, sir. Miss, step this way."  
  
They went upstairs to a dressing room with screens, mirrors, and a large number of fine looking suits and dresses. Emelia tried on a variety of dresses, all of them more finely made than anything she'd seen in a mall. The tailor eyed the twin guns she kept with her curiously, but went about his business as if it were nothing. He didn't dare touch them or ask her to put them away.  
  
Most of the outfits were white and reminded her of the wedding dress she had picked out the day before her life had been turned upside down. She stared wistfully into the mirror as she put them on, wondering how life could have turned out for her if things had gone differently. If Ren wasn't dead, if the Joker never existed, if she hadn't gone to prison, if, if, if.  
  
She cast away the dress she was holding with a smack of disgust. She thought she'd left those painful memories behind. Obviously not.  
  
The tailor was clearly alarmed as he went to scoop up the discarded dresses. "Perhaps something else? I did not meant to insult you so." Emelia rolled her eyes. How much groveling could this guy do? Still, the man did know his job. All the dresses he offered were the very best. But it irritated her how he was trying too hard. He wouldn't even meet her eyes. She didn't know why he was so afraid of her.  
  
"Is this all to your liking? Is this all to Lord Asellus's liking?"  
  
Emelia stared into the mirror, not hearing the man. The dress she had on now was pure white and pleated, blooming out only slightly, unlike Asellus's attire. Simple, pretty, maybe a little old fashioned, something her mother might have worn. Just the way she liked it. "This will do."  
  
It was the least elaborate of all the outfits offered and the tailor was a little alarmed. "Are - are you sure? Would Lord Asellus be pleased with this?"  
  
"What does that matter?" Emelia asked. "I'm the one who's gotta wear it."  
  
The tailor lowered his eyes and bent his knees, bowing slightly. "Of course. F - f -forgive me."  
  
Emelia stepped downstairs and saw Ildon still standing at attention, looking exactly as he had when she had gone upstairs. He angled his head slightly. "Not bad." He nodded. "Back to the castle."  
  
Outside, they immediately headed back for Chateau Aiguille. Emelia hurried to match Ildon's quick pace. "What was that all about?" she asked.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"That tailor. He was terrified of me."  
  
"He ought to be. I told him you were Lord Asellus's guest."  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?"  
  
"Displeasing the Charm Lord is a serious offense." Ildon set his hand straight and ran it across his throat. "This would be a blessing compared to what awaits that tailor if Lord Asellus is displeased."  
  
"You're kidding."  
  
Ildon stopped in his tracks and stared directly into Emelia's eyes. "I do not kid." He resumed his stride.  
  
"Wait. Why would she be displeased with anything? I'm the one who wears this dress."  
  
"But it is Lord Asellus who must look upon it. If she thinks her guest has gotten anything less than the best, I pity that tailor."  
  
"I had no idea. Is she like this for all her guests?"  
  
"No. Just you."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"People here already know about you, the Lord's 'good and dear friend'. Everyone's been whispering about you, speculating who you are, what you do, what your relation to Lord Asellus is."  
  
It was Emelia's turn to pause. Good and dear friend? Granted, she liked Asellus, but the truth was, they hadn't known each other for very long. "I had no idea. Word must really get around."  
  
"It's like wildfire here. I think this started when Lord Asellus mentioned you to Princess Gina and some lowly court mystic happened to be around. Now you're literally the talk of the town."  
  
Princess Gina? Who's that? "Oh. I didn't know you people gossiped so much."  
  
"I believe the others prefer to call it rumor trading. But yes, you're right. There's little entertainment for mystic or human in Facinaturu, aside from talking about one another out of earshot. No little thing goes unnoticed around here."  
  
They were now at the castle gates, which lifted with a great rattle. But before they did, Emelia thought she heard someone laughing softly behind her. She turned around as the gates lifted up, but saw nothing. She looked around longer, positive she had heard something. The gates were all the way up now and she backed towards the castle, still staring off into the space where she believed the laughter came from. Finally, she turned around.  
  
"Here we go again," that faint voice whispered.  
  
Ildon must have heard it, too, as he whirled about, his left hand suddenly aglow with purple light. Crackling, dark purple energy suddenly sprang from his clenched fist, forming itself into a blade of pure energy that looked as sharp as the finest sword. Seeing Ildon take up arms, Emelia immediately drew her twin pistols, looking for the source of the voice. Ildon stepped forward, passing Emelia, and thrusted out his free hand, blocking her way.  
  
"Put your weapons away. Get back into the castle," Ildon commanded, his back still turned to her.  
  
Emelia took a few cautious steps backwards and looked behind her to see if it was safe. She stepped beyond the castle gates when the blade that came from Ildon's hand suddenly retracted and flickered out. He turned around. "I don't think we're in danger."  
  
"Are you sure? What was that about?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Just a child playing a prank, that's all."  
  
"What do you mean by. . ." Emelia's question was suddenly cut off by a great ring that echoed throughout the castle. It sounded like a champagne glass had been struck. A really big one.  
  
"The party's about to start. Come." 


	2. The Host

Asellus looked out from the high balcony atop Chateau Aguille. She watched the roiling purple skies of Facinaturu, listening to the ever present winds howl and sing through the air. She felt the winds blow past her, swirling, dancing, and twirling as they flew about, whipping her dress and loose strands of her hair into a frenzy.  
  
Orlouge had stood on this very spot when they had their last words together. Rastaban had told her that this was his favorite spot when he wasn't in court or involved with his many, many mistresses. There was a definite, ever-changing beauty in the view and Asellus couldn't fault the former Charm Lord for spending his time here. She'd already stood here several times when she wanted to be left alone or wanted to get away from the petty squabbling and gossip of her court.  
  
She also liked the feeling of standing in the middle of all the motion and energy. She liked standing straight, stiff, and unbowed against the elemental fury that swirled about her. Sometimes she'd stretch out her arms to the side and take the full force of the winds against herself. Her clothes would flare violently, so much so that she wondered if they might have just flown off her body, but she herself would stay still and strong against the onslaught. Yes, she very much enjoyed the feeling.  
  
The fact was, Emelia was the last guest she had greeted, the only guest she had greeted. She was also the last guest to arrive. Asellus had been afraid that Ildon wouldn't be able to locate her or that she would have refused her invitation. Right now, she needed time alone, time to think and reflect. The other guests could occupy themselves with each other. She didn't want to bother with them, not until she had fully contemplated what she was going to do next. She could hardly admit it, but she was afraid of what was going to come. She thought out the possibilities, how easily things could go awry, and it made her scared. It was ironic. She'd inherited nearly unlimited power from Orlouge, yet what she had planned, what she desperately wanted, could very easily slip from her grasp. There was no other way around it.  
  
She hadn't been afraid then, when she fought her way up Chateau Aguille in order to confront Orlouge once and for all. She and her small band of allies had fought off the dangerous monsters that inhabited the cliffs of the Chateau, fended off attacks from mystics loyal to Orlouge, and slew his most powerful servants. All through it, she had been unafraid, because she had nothing to lose.  
  
Her entire journey, from the moment she woke up as a half-mystic in Chateau Aguille, to her final confrontation with Orlouge, had been one of loss. The loss of her humanity, her friends, her family, her loved ones, all of it had been stripped from her. Even when she had returned to Facinaturu bent on vengeance, thinking she had nothing left to lose, Orlouge had taken something from her that she didn't even know she had. He had kidnapped Gina, the only human in Rootville who would look upon her, speak to her without naked fear.  
  
Asellus had to admit, she hadn't thought of Gina since her escape from Facinaturu. But when she returned and learned that Gina had been taken away, she knew she had to get her back. Brief as their time together had been, Gina was the only link she had, the only one who could keep her from the sense of being utterly and completely alone. Without her, she was nothing.  
  
So when she finally stepped out upon this great balcony and looked upon Orlouge standing where she was standing now, she did it without a shred of fear. The battle to get there had been hard and taxing and her allies were struggling to keep up with her. They were winded, tired, and hurt, but the only thing Asellus had felt was a burning sensation within her, the burning need to end things between her and Orlouge, to end all the suffering she had endured.  
  
When she stepped forward, she saw that her allies had stayed behind. All of them knew or knew of the Charm Lord and they kept their distance. Whether it was their hurt, their fear, or both, she alone stepped forward to speak.  
  
Orlouge had his back turned, staring out into the sky, but Asellus was under no illusion that he didn't know they were there. She approached, until his voice ordered, "That's far enough."  
  
So she stopped, glad that she had a chance to gather her wits and her strength. Orlouge still kept his back towards them as he spoke. "So, the wayward daughter returns. And she's brought such an interesting pack with her."  
  
Asellus could almost picture the evil grin on his face as he addressed one of her allies. "Princess Rei. Finally, you've come back to me. Ironic, isn't it? I spend centuries, millenia seeking you out, hunting for you, hoping to find a glimpse of you in all the mistresses I've made, and all I had to do was wait for you to come to me."  
  
Rei closed in, but still kept behind Asellus. "You've haunted me enough lifetimes. It ends here, Orlouge."  
  
The ancient Charm Lord yawned. "Alas, I think I've finally found someone fit to replace you. You'll never leave your coffin again once I finish with this." His back still turned, he addressed the next ally. "And you, dog. You won't even have the luxury of a coffin when I'm through with you. Finally decided to come out of the shadows and face my justice, Zozma?"  
  
The rebel mystic laughed, though none of his usual cockiness was in it. It seemed more like a way for him to muster his courage to step forward, which he did. "Since when did mystics care about justice? I'm just here because I think you're finally gonna get yours, oh gracious Lord." Asellus could picture him bowing with the utmost sarcasm.  
  
"Hmph." With that, Orlouge was done with Zozma. "Now here's an odd member of my daughter's party. You, shapeshifter, why do you involve yourself in mystic affairs?"  
  
Red Turnip floated forward. "Hey, I owe my freedom to White Rose. Can't think of any way to repay her 'sides taking care of the most important person in her life."  
  
With that, Orlouge's voice turned cold. Up to now, he had treated the invaders as some sort of joke he found amusing. He wasn't amused anymore. "No one is more important than me in her life. No one. White Rose owes her very existence to me."  
  
"I think someone struck a chord," Zozma smirked. Red Turnip laughed and Asellus could even sense a smile gracing Rei's lips.  
  
"Silence, dog!" It was the first trace of heat in Orlouge's voice and it was enough to silence Zozma. If the confrontation had started out as a joke to the Charm Lord, it wasn't one anymore. His voice was now laced with anger. "You, Ildon, where is your loyalty? Why do you stand with my traitor daughter?"  
  
Ildon's voice was calm and even. "I made a promise to a friend." Now his voice was laced with a cold anger. "And I owe no loyalty to disgusting filth like you. What you did to White Rose is unforgivable."  
  
Asellus could practically see the hatred boiling from Orlouge. Yet he laughed. "Had a thing for her, did you? Who would have thought? The Black Wing and the White Rose, what a combination that would make!" His voice lowered. "She would never return your feelings. They all belong to me and what I do to my creations is of no consequence to you."  
  
"Her feelings are not yours, not anymore. They are her own and she's given them to another."  
  
Orlouge went rigid. For the first time, he turned his head ever so slightly towards the invaders.  
  
"Is that why you trapped her, Orlouge? Is that why you've worked so hard to hurt her and Lady Asellus? You can't stand it, can you, that she picked someone so new to her life over you."  
  
"Stay your tongue, Ildon. I might still forgive you when this is over." Asellus could see the Charm Lord having to reign in his emotions. For a moment, nothing but the wind could be heard. "And that brings us to the one who binds this pack together. Have you come to worship me, my daughter?"  
  
"If I can't live as a human, I must live as a mystic," Asellus said honestly. It was true. In all her travels, all her experiences had told her one thing, that she was no longer human. The fear of the humans in Rootville, her aunt's rejection, the mystic power blooming within her, all of it pointed to that simple fact, no matter how much she denied. Even a mec recognized she wasn't human anymore. She had to accept facts.  
  
"Ah," Orlouge said, his voice once again taking an amused tone. "It took you this long to realize that fact?"  
  
"I must live as a mystic," Asellus repeated. "But I won't live under your rule. I will not be at the mercy of your whims. I am Asellus and I control my fate. It's time for a showdown."  
  
Now Orlouge turned completely to face her and all the anger that he had felt was gone. In its place was a wide, mad smile. Asellus had to admit, the reaction had taken her by surprise. "Yes! That's my daughter! Lust for life! Lust for power!" With that he faded from view.  
  
At first, Asellus had thought that Orlouge had fled, but when she descended the steps from the balcony, she saw the Charm Lord waiting to confront her.  
  
The battle was long, drawn out, and hard fought. Orlouge had picked his battlefield well, as he was aided by three magical portraits of past mistresses and he spared no trick in his vast arsenal. By the battle's end, Asellus could barely stay on her feet and her allies simply could not. But she had won. She struck the final blow. Orlouge crumbled into dust, leaving nothing more than a pile of fine, powdered glass.  
  
The battle had cost everyone dearly. Rei and Red Turnip lay dead. There was nothing that could be done for them. Perhaps Rei would be reborn again, perhaps not. Either way, Asellus was sure that she'd want nothing to do with mystics ever again. As for Red Turnip, she would miss the shapeshifter. A final parting shot from Orlouge, she guessed. One more loss to inflict on her.  
  
Zozma and Ildon were badly hurt. They couldn't even stand, though Ildon kept trying. Rastaban suddenly appeared on the scene. He was clearly shocked by what he saw. He went to Ildon and helped him on his feet. "I can't believe it!" he said, utterly astonished. "You killed Orlouge!"  
  
Asellus nodded and stared at the pile of dust that used to be Orlouge. She scooped it up into both of her hands and walked unsteadily back up to the balcony. With a great thrust of her hands, she sent Orlouge's remains into the winds, scattering them. To this day, she still pictured wind spirits feasting on the former Charm Lord, inflicting untold pain upon him. She liked that thought.  
  
When she came back down, weary, she saw that Rastaban had disappeared. He reappeared again, this time with Gina. At the sight of her, all strength left Asellus's limbs.  
  
"Asellus!" the tailor's maid yelled out. She moved to catch her as she fell forward.  
  
"Orlouge made me take her away," Rastaban explained. "I could not disobey my Lord."  
  
"I understand, Rastaban," Asellus said, cradled in Gina's arms. "Thank you."  
  
"Oh, Asellus," Gina cooed, looking down at what must have been a ravaged body. "Oh, Lady Asellus."  
  
And so started her reign as Charm Lord. Now she truly was master of her own fate. She'd never have to feel the pain of loss ever again. All she had to do was exert her will to make it so. Orlouge had been such a fool. All that power in his possesion and all he did was lord over a bunch of sycophants and play with his mistresses. That power was in better hands now.  
  
She made Gina into her first princess, making sure that she'd always be with her. She banished Zozma after he dared assume that his was the key role in destroying Orlouge. He had only used her, after all, in his own vision of revenge. Sooner or later, she'd catch him and deal with him. No one would ever make her a pawn or a plaything ever again.  
  
And now she'd devised a plan to make sure that nothing would ever challenge her again. Though she wasn't human any longer, she knew how the human spirit worked. They would always expand, always explore. Sooner or later, they would encroach upon her, disturb her world, threaten her with loss. No, that wasn't going to happen. First, she would gather all the mystics around her, let them know who was in charge now, and lead them against her enemies. She'd start small, conquering a few monster tribes, bringing them under her wing, a few minor human nations, work her way up. Even the mecs would bow to her. It would not end until she knew she was secure, until she knew that she'd never lose again. It was within her grasp. All she had to do was reach for it.  
  
But first thing was first. She had to take in the ones who were important to her, keep them close. What was the point in becoming immune to loss when you had nothing worth keeping? She was going to make an offer to one of her guests, one she hoped would not be turned down. While all her human allies had left her before the end of her journey for one reason or another, one of them had made a deep impression. Of them all, only she had been truly willing to get to know her, to share in her experiences, to care for her. She joined because they shared a common goal at the time, but she stayed because she simply wanted to help, because she cared about what happened to her. She had no other reason to do so. Even if she hadn't been with her for long, she'd pushed back that empty feeling of loneliness for while. It meant a lot to Asellus and she wanted to keep that person by her side.  
  
But it had to be her choice. Asellus couldn't force her offer down her guest's throat. What was the point in that? No, she had to join her, be with her, because she wanted to. And there was a chance that she'd refuse, which was why Asellus was afraid. Maybe she'd be horrified at the prospect of what she'd be giving up if she agreed to the offer. And Asellus knew she had changed since they last met. Maybe she wouldn't like this new Asellus.  
  
Still, it had to be her choice. If she said no, then it meant that she'd already lost this precious person long ago or she had never had her to begin with.  
  
Just say yes, Asellus said silently. Say yes, join with me. I'll give you eternal happiness if you only keep me company. Come to me, Emelia.  
  
"Gina," she summoned.  
  
She appeared, looking like she was still trying to get used to teleporting and still trying to get used to the mystic finery she was wearing. She hadn't adopted to mystic life as quickly as Asellus had hoped. "Yes, Lady Asellus?"  
  
"Start the party. I'll join you soon."  
  
"Yes, Lady Asellus." She disappeared.  
  
Soon, Asellus thought to herself. Soon. 


	3. Reunion

When the sound of ringing glass that sang through the halls of Chateau Aiguille finally came to an end, the vast, rose bedecked double doors at the end of the long entrance hallway opened up with a great groan. Emelia and Ildon were on the other end of the hallway, near the castle gates. Through the distant open doors, she could see a grand throne of rich red framed by a vast nest of what looked like gracefully carved thorns of deep black. The look of it alone touched Emelia with a chill that struck deep inside her.   
  
Ildon started towards the room and Emelia followed.   
  
"Um, aren't you going to just teleport there?" she asked, staring down the vast distance between them and the throne room.   
  
"It is disrespectful to teleport directly into a mystic gathering, especially one of the Charm Lord's."   
  
"How about if we just teleport outside the room and walk in?"   
  
Ildon stopped in his tracks and stared down the great length of hallway that still stretched between him and the room. "Sometimes I envy you humans." Before Emelia could ask why, he grasped onto her hand and they were next to the immense open doors. Emelia reappeared feeling the soft touch of a rose petal against her nose. The scent was lovely, filling her with a strangely relaxed sensation.   
  
They entered, where a host of people were gathered. The first thing that struck Emelia was that, unlike everywhere else in Chateau Aiguille, it was actually bright in here. Banks of bright white crystals on towering poles and high braziers illuminated the vast room.   
  
Most of the assembled were mystics. Wherever one stood, beautifully ornate jewelry caught the light. The twinkling of precious gems and metals accompanied every movement. Luxurious hair of exotic colors dominated the room: green, purple, white with streaks of lavender, blue, raven black. While most of the mystics looked human, there was just something about them that made it obvious that they weren't. Emelia couldn't quite place it. It was nothing she could see or even name, just a feeling, really. Whatever it was, Emelia knew that she was in a sea of strangers and she really didn't belong here. Even the dress she had picked out seemed terribly simple and out of place compared to all the finery around her. She looked all around for familiar faces.   
  
A girl in a white gown and shawl greeted her and Ildon just inside the gate. "Hello, Ildon. Hello, it's good to have you here," she said in a soft voice, nodding to Emelia. She smiled gently. "You must be Emelia. Lady Asellus has talked so much about you."   
  
"So I've heard. Who are you?"   
  
The smile deepened. "Princess Gina." She curtsied. "How do you do?"   
  
There was something strange about this girl. She seemed out of her element among all these mystics. Even the gown she wore seemed too big for her. The thought of a child playing dress up in her mother's clothing came to mind.   
  
That wasn't entirely fair. Physically, Gina didn't look much younger than Asellus and Asellus wasn't much younger than Emelia. Put together, Emelia didn't think their years would add up to even seventy. It was the way Gina carried herself: very gentle, shy, and overwhelmed by her surroundings. Inexperience was the word, Emelia thought. "Oh. So what did 'Lady' Asellus say about me?"   
  
"Mainly, she reminisces about the time you spent together. What you did, what you said." Gina's smile faded a bit. "I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. I wish I was there with you and Lady Asellus back then."   
  
"Believe me, you don't. Those were dangerous times, right Ildon?"   
  
The green haired mystic nodded. "Yes, they were. Were you there when Princess Lion or Ciato had attacked us, I fear you wouldn't be here with us today."   
  
Gina sighed. "Still, you must have shared so much with each other. I even envy you and the time you spent with her, Ildon." She turned to address Emelia again. "She said you are a very steady person and very little throws you. You're always calm, you always know what to do." Gina folded her hands in front herself and looked to the side. "The way she sounded, she seemed to have looked up to you. Like a big sister."   
  
Emelia laughed. "She said that?" She blushed. "You're kidding. If anyone filled out the big sister role, it was White Rose. Where is she, anyway?"   
  
The gentle smile disappeared abruptly. Gina cast her eyes down. Even Ildon suddenly looked more grim than usual. "You haven't heard."   
  
"Princess White Rose is no longer with us," Ildon intoned.   
  
Emelia stood silent, staring at Ildon, shocked. White Rose and Asellus were inseperable. There wasn't a moment when she didn't see one without the other. "I'm. . .I'm sorry."   
  
"She could come back," Gina said hopefully.   
  
"What?" Emelia said, now confused.   
  
"Princess White Rose is not dead," Ildon answered. "She's been trapped in the Dark Labyrinth. Lord Asellus has been trying to free her for months, but without success."   
  
"Dark Labyrinth?" Emelia repeated, still confused.   
  
"It is a prison dimension. Lord Asellus, White Rose, and I were sent there by Orlouge. We escaped, but not without a sacrifice."   
  
"I see."   
  
Ildon nodded and held his hand out to the throng of people collected within the great room. "In any case, I believe that there is a party we are supposed to attend," he said suddenly, walking away. Emelia wasn't quite sure, but she took it as a sign that Ildon didn't want to talk about White Rose anymore. She'd never seen Ildon upset about anything, but she was pretty sure she'd just seen him upset now.   
  
She nodded and again looked around for familiar faces. She found two, two who also saw her and waved her over. As she drew closer, the sad news of White Rose was cast to the side by the sight of old friends. This was a party, after all, and wasn't a time to stew in bad feelings.   
  
"What's up, gun girl? Didn't think you'd make it."   
  
"Hey, blondie, nice to see ya again."   
  
Emelia fixed a wry smile at the only two faces she recognized in this whole room. They were also about the only humans who were in this room, though there was one other with them whom she didn't recognize. They were dressed up in old fashioned tuxedoes, looking utterly ridiculous, especially since they opted to keep some of their usual accessories.   
  
Gen still had a headband wrapped around his forehead and clapped Emelia on the shoulder. A dark green bottle of Facinaturu's finest was in his hand. It looked like Gen had already chugged down more than half of it. "Look at you. They dressed you up nice. You fill out that dress like nobody's business." He took a swig of the bottle and wiped his lips.   
  
Emelia rolled her eyes. "Wish I could say the same for you."   
  
Lute actually looked a little more in place in his suit, if he only wasn't wearing that weird looking cap on his head or had his guitar slung behind his back. With his blue hair, he actually might have fit in among the mystics. Or not. "Guess the whole gang's here." He pulled out his instrument and plucked an experimental string. "How 'bout a tune?"   
  
True enough, Asellus's human gang was here. Including the stranger among them, that made four. Not much of a showing. Guess Asellus didn't have time to make too many friends while she was on the run. "Who's this?" Emelia asked, gesturing to the unfamiliar face among them.   
  
"That's Charlie," Gen said. "He's a pilot. According to him, he helped Asellus and White Rose bust out of this region in the first place."   
  
Arms crossed the whole time, the orange haired pilot smirked, twin tails of his bandana trailing behind him. "I also gave them a ride back. Well, Asellus in any case. Don't know what happened to White Rose, though I'm guessing it was bad the way Asellus looked."   
  
Emelia nodded and turned to the two she knew. "Is it just me, or are we a little out of place around here?" She looked around at the various mystics, gathered in various cliques. She couldn't help but notice quite a few of them staring in their direction and then turn and talk to each other.   
  
Gen stuck his eye down the rim of the bottle, peering at the remaining contents before taking another drink. "Don't know what you're talking about."   
  
Lute shrugged. "Guess mystics only mix in with their own kind. White Rose must have been a freak."   
  
"You know," Charlie said. "I swore that I'd never come here again. Twice. I think after this I'll swear a third time. These people don't know the meaning of entertainment."   
  
"Third time's the charm," Lute said, starting a tune.   
  
"So what happened to you guys after you left?" Emelia asked.   
  
Gen looked into his bottle of wine again and seeing that it had been drained to the last drop, started flipping the bottle in midair casually, catching the fragile glass without even looking at it. "Well, after I got my ass kicked by that Lion chick, I took a month off to learn how to feel again. Got mixed up with a bunch of mecs after that. I think I might have saved the universe from total destruction or something, I don't know."   
  
"And you, Lute?"   
  
"Things were feeling a little too hot for me, after meeting up with Miss Lion," Lute said, his fingers expertly strumming his instrument. "Didn't want to end up like Gen. So I wandered around, met some folks just as queer as either of you two, loved a little, lost a little, had fun, had to run." He blinked and stopped playing. "Then I fought a giant robot."   
  
"What do you mean by 'queer'?" Gen demanded.   
  
"Strange. You know, queer. What about you, Miss Emelia? You stuck with Asellus the longest. What happened to you?"   
  
"We ran into a couple more mystics. White Rose and Asellus had their usual weepy moments and such. We wandered a little, touring the regions, seeing the sights and all that. We hooked up with Ildon," Emelia immediately looked around the party and pointed him out. He was talking to another green haired mystic in powerful looking armor. "That's him, the one with the long hair. He was sent to help us, which was a good thing, cuz not long after we got into a scrape with some high and mighty mystic named Ciato. After that, I had certain obligations to meet with some other people and had to leave."   
  
"Oh, so you don't know what happened to White Rose?" Lute asked.   
  
Emelia shook her head. "She was still with Asellus when I left them. The way I heard it, she got sent to prison, or something."   
  
Lute reared his head back in surprise. "Prison? For what? Can't imagine White Rose doing anything illegal."   
  
Emelia shrugged. "Mystics have some weird ideas on what's a crime and what's not."   
  
"Well, you know who I think is queer," Gen said, now swinging his bottle aimlessly through the air, "I mean *real* queer. . ."   
  
"Hello," a gentle voice said from out of nowhere. Everyone immediately spun to see Gina standing in their midst. No one had seen her coming. Everyone issued one word greetings.   
  
"Hey."   
  
"Hello."   
  
"Hi."   
  
"Miss."   
  
There was an awkward silence. Gina's smile slipped for a moment and she cleared her throat gently and looked to Emelia. "That's a lovely dress you're wearing, Miss Emelia. You know, I believe that was one of the dresses designed for Lady Asellus when she arrived here."   
  
"Oh?"   
  
"I used to work as a maid for a master tailor in Rootville." Gina cast her gaze to the side as she smiled faintly at the memory she was invoking. "I used to put this in front of me in front of a mirror and wonder what it would look like on me." She angled her head. "Mainly I wondered how it would look on the Sleeping Prince."   
  
"Sleeping Prince?"   
  
"Oh, yes. Before Lady Asellus awoke in Facinaturu, she'd been asleep for a long time. At the time, no one knew who she was, or even that she was a she. All people knew was that there was a sleeping prince of the mystics in Chateau Aiguille, waiting to wake into the world. I used to dream about who that prince would be and meeting him."   
  
"Looks like you've come a long way," Gen said.   
  
Gina nodded slightly. "I suppose."   
  
"Sure you have. You're all good friends with Lady Asellus, right? And she's lord and master over all these guys around here." Gen took a look around him. "You're in good with someone in high places. I'd say that's a big step over tailor's maid."   
  
Gina cast her eyes down. "Still, I feel like I know so little about her. I wasn't with her when she escaped from here. We only talked once or twice before she made her escape. I know so little about her adventures outside of Facinaturu. But you were all out there with her while I was stuck in Rootville, pining over her. Sometimes I wonder if this is all a dream."   
  
"Hey," Lute said, gently touching her on the arm. "You weren't missing out on much. She was just some gal tryin' to live out her life like anyone else."   
  
"While being hunted down like a dog," Emelia added.   
  
Gina was silent for a time, gaze lowered ever so slightly before she shook her head and lifted her head. "She seemed so different after. . .well, after she recovered her strength from beating Orlouge, I noticed how different she was from the last time we talked, before she escaped from here. I always wondered just what happened out there."   
  
"What? She's not telling you herself?" Gen asked.   
  
"She tells me some things, but it's just not the same as actually being there. Besides, I can't help but feel that she's left out a few details from her stories. I just wish I knew what happened out there."   
  
"Well, truth be told," Gen said, flipping his bottle the way Emelia could flip her guns, "I haven't even seen the girl since I got here."   
  
"Me, neither," Lute said.   
  
"She did seem a little different," Emelia admitted, fingering the delicate broach around her neck.   
  
"What?" Gen exclaimed, a little put off. "You talked to her? What, she's too good to say hello to me?"   
  
"I'm sure she's very preoccupied," Gina said apologetically. "There are a great deal of responsibilities in being Charm Lord." She eyed Emelia's necklace intently and spoke in a tone that desperately wanted to change the subject. "That's a beautiful piece of jewelry you have there. Did Gozarus make that for you?"   
  
"Who?" Emelia looked down at the gift she'd received from a total stranger at Trinity Base. "No. This is mine."   
  
"It's lovely," Gina said, leaning closer to look at the tiny figure centered below Emelia's neck.   
  
"Hey," Lute said, his attention drawn. "Is that the Yorkland angel?"   
  
"Yes," Emelia said. "So everyone keeps telling me."   
  
"Well, I'll be. You don't find too many of those around these days. Mostly old folks are the only ones who even talk about it. Ma used to talk about the angel all the time."   
  
"What's the big deal?" Gen asked, eyeing the golden image. "She's got a nice figure and all, but what's she done to get all the attention?"   
  
"Aw, see, I'm not sure about the whole story, but the way Ma tells me, it goes like this. Yorkland today is a pretty sleepy little place, most people leadin' simple lives, everyone pretty laid back. According to Ma, Yorkland wasn't always like that. Like a long time ago, and I mean a *long* time ago, Yorkland was ruled over by some big evil. Some folks say it was an ancient civilization, others say it was a demon, others say it was some mystics, some just called it plain ol' evil. Anyway, this whatever it was ruled over Yorkland, taking what it pleased, doing whatever it wanted to the people living there. As you might imagine, people were a real stressed out, upset bunch. They were scared all the time, flinching at everything that moved, tempers flaring, fightin' with one another. Some just gave it all up and went to serve the evil. It was so bad, hardly anyone could do anything for themselves. Not a good time to be in.   
  
"So one day, this angel comes to Yorkland. She's all kind and stuff, brings comfort to the downtrodden. But most important, she brings peace of mind to the people. People say that just by being there, she kept all the fears, the doubts, and the worries from getting to the Yorkland people. No matter what this evil did to 'em, the people just kept their peace of mind and went about their lives the best they could. It ain't long before the evil just ups and leaves everyone in peace.   
  
"Kicked his ass, huh?" Gen said.   
  
"Nah, nothing like that. The way the story goes, this evil fed off of the conflict and the fear, anger, and overall bad feelings running through everyone. With everyone all mellow, there's not much this evil could do 'cept take a hike. After that, everyone worshipped this angel. Even built a big ol' church in the mountains. Ma always said that when times were tough, you just pray to the angel to give you a clear mind. Course, looks like most everyone's forgotten about it by now."   
  
"Yeah? I think that's got a lot to do with all the booze flowin' in and out of that place."   
  
Lute laughed. "You could be right."   
  
Gina nodded enthusiastically. "That's a fascinating story, Sir Lute."   
  
"Aw, just Lute."   
  
"Sometimes I wish I had a goddess like that to call on."   
  
"Oh?" Gen asked. "Life ain't all roses here?"   
  
Gina stifled a laugh, not sure if that was meant to be a joke or not. She was about to speak but suddenly cast her gaze to the center of the room. Asellus had just materialized there. Gina immediately left the humans and made a beeline for her Lady. 


	4. Hidden Thoughts

Gina quickly took her place by Asellus's side, snatching her hand possessively, her attention completely on her Lady. The new Charm Lord gazed all around her, noting the various mystics who had answered her summons. From all the regions, in places hidden from humans, often right under their noses, from everywhere they came. She saw water mystics and woodland mystics, tiny sprites and fairies, mountain trolls and goblins, mystics high and low and in all their exotic forms were gathered here. She didn't believe that the mystics gathered here represented all the mystics that existed, but it was enough for now. She'd deal with those who ignored her invitation in the future. For now, she only needed enough to spread the word that there was a new Charm Lord on the throne and things were going to be a lot different from now on.  
  
Asellus looked to her precious Gina and saw that for once she wasn't staring intently at her. Instead, her gaze was off to the side, a faint smile on her face. She even took a hand away from her Lady to wave. This was definitely a surprise. Asellus followed her gaze to see what could possibly distract her Gina away from her.  
  
She smiled and suddenly the business at hand didn't seem that important.  
  
-----  
  
Ildon watched as Asellus strode over, Gina in tow, to the only humans in the room, a warm smile on her face. Not the cold, calculating smile that she typically wore nowadays, but a real one that betrayed actual happiness and good feeling. A rare sight.  
  
"Hey, Asellus!"  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"It's good to see you again."  
  
"Hey, how you doin'?"  
  
The humans greeted the Charm Lord loudly and crudely by mystic standards. The drunkard, Gen, Ildon thought he heard, actually slapped Asellus on the shoulder heartily. All through it, the Charm Lord kept that rarely seen smile. Even though Ildon would never admit it to anyone, especially Lord Asellus herself, it was good to see the Charm Lord act a little less lordly.  
  
The various mystics around the room, especially the sycophantic court mystics, bristled at what they considered to be utterly unforgivable behavior. He didn't have to hear the various whispers around the room to know what they were saying. Oh, the insolence. Why, those *humans* don't even address her by her proper title! Why aren't those humans dead yet? How dare they!  
  
As if any of those mystics had ever traveled side by side with Asellus, as if they had shared what those humans had shared with her, as if they somehow had more rights to their Lord simply by being mystics. Not so long ago, many of these critics looked down and sneered upon the half-breed newcomer to Chateau Aiguille, suggesting that it might have been a favor to Asellus if she'd been put to sleep like a dog. Now they were rushing to defend her stained honor. Though the mystic throne had changed hands, the petty, groveling court had not changed at all. Anything to win the Lord's grace.  
  
Asellus turned a sharp eye away from her friends, casting a brief, but withering glare at the assembled. The outbursts quickly died down. She turned back to her human company as if nothing had happened. Indeed, it seemed like the humans hadn't seen the warning glare at all. For all her faults, Lord Asellus at least knew who her friends were.  
  
He didn't know much about the humans who had joined with Asellus in the earlier legs of her adventures. He'd met Emelia for a short time and he'd met the pilot when he transported them back to Facinaturu for their final confrontation with Orlouge, but Gen and that musician had left before he arrived into Asellus's party. Ildon only knew of those two men through stories he had heard from his Lord.  
  
And the truth was that he knew little about Emelia, too. She left shortly after helping to defeat Ciato and she revealed little about herself. He always wondered just what sort of effect these human companions had on Asellus and just what the Charm Lord would have been like today if they had stayed with her instead of going their separate ways. Perhaps she wouldn't be steering all of mystickind to ruin.  
  
There was something symbolic in the way Asellus's allies changed. It mirrored her slow acceptance of mystichood. At first she vehemently defended her humanity, surrounding herself with human allies. But as they dropped out and were replaced by mystic allies, so did the human side of the future Charm Lord slowly slide away to be dominated by her mystic side. Ildon would have thought that that was a good thing, but clearly he had underestimated just how important a component it was to who Asellus was. Without it, she had become something much different than what she used to be. And she wasn't necessarily better. And to think he had encouraged her to act more like a mystic.  
  
He remembered earlier training sessions with her, pitting her against various phantom beasts to train her in the mystic arts. At first she faltered, losing to even the simplest beasts. But as she improved her skills, he remembered seeing her rage unleashed in those battles. There was a raw fury that, when properly honed, made for a deadly weapon. He'd seen the same sort of fury in the former Charm Lord on the rare occasion when his will was denied. He remembered thinking that she was indeed Orlouge's daughter. They were definitely made of the same stuff.  
  
"My, our Lord hung with quite the crowd in her early days," Rastaban said, eyeing the humans with amusement. "That blonde one is quite the looker."  
  
As always, Rastaban had no problems with spouting off insane proclamations. Admitting attraction for a human was enough to kick most mystics from high standing, but Rastaban had a way with getting away with being loopy. Yes, Ildon had to admit that Emelia had certain appealing qualities, but he certainly wasn't going to shout it out to everyone.  
  
"I almost don't recognize her," Ildon said, staring at Asellus as she mingled happily with her old allies. "She almost doesn't look like the person who'll bring ruin to us."  
  
Rastaban rolled his eyes and smirked. "Here we go again, eh, Ildon? 'The end of Facinaturu as we know it'."  
  
"I can see where this is headed," Ildon said, referring to Asellus.  
  
"If it's the end of Facinaturu as we know it, fine by me. The Facinaturu I remembered was a stagnant excuse of a kingdom run by a stagnant, doddering old man more in love with his playthings than the rest of his subjects. Or -"  
  
Ildon widened his eyes and shot his friend an alarmed look. If anyone was watching, they would have been treated to a rare display of strong emotion from the Black Wing. What could he do? Sometimes his friend's words and actions went beyond mad. It was unwise to speak the former Charm Lord's name, especially in Asellus's presence. He would hate to lose his friend over a mere slip of the tongue.  
  
Among mystics, true friendship was the rarest of relations. A mystic had "fellow mystics" that knew and cared nothing for one another and probably spread nasty rumors about each other behind closed doors. A mystic had "allies" who'd stab each other in the back at the slightest incentive. A mystic had "companions" and "partners" who were only stuck together because a higher mystic ordered it so. A mystic had "lovers" who were much more interested in lust.  
  
But a friend? A real, true to life friend? Practically unheard of. A prize beyond prizes. Ildon had to watch out for such a rare being as Rastaban.  
  
"Our former Lord," Rastaban amended, "thought of nothing except himself. Now we finally have a leader who will take the mystics to new heights, to our rightful place."  
  
"I think you're wrong," Ildon said. "And I don't think our new Lord cares much about us, either. We're just tools to further her aims."  
  
"At least we'll get something out of it," Rastaban countered. "Besides, I was right that Lord Asellus would be the one to reset our clocks, wasn't I?"  
  
Ildon stood silent and turned to watch his Lord among her friends. They'd had this discussion many times before. Their opinions were clearly set. Only time would tell.  
  
-----  
  
"Man, look at you, girl," Gen said, leaning back, his eyes appraising the green haired girl he had once traveled with. She was clearly a woman now. There was something about her that had become much more impressive. "All high and mighty."  
  
"I am," Asellus smiled. "You look like you've been making yourself home."  
  
"As long as there's a bottle for me, I'm home," Gen smiled proudly. "Which reminds me, got another?"  
  
"I'll get someone to fetch more for you."  
  
"So, you still keep in practice with the blade?" Gen asked, a bit more serious. When it came to swordplay, the Wakatu samurai was all business.  
  
"I still flash my sword around every so often," Asellus smiled. "But I've grown beyond the need for a sword."  
  
Gen crossed his arms, arching an eyebrow. "That must be nice."  
  
"It is, believe me."  
  
"So what have you been doing all this time?" Lute asked.  
  
Asellus waved a hand through the air. "Royal stuff."  
  
"You mean like sittin' on a throne, barking out orders at a bunch of folks scared of the sight of ya?"  
  
"Something like that." Asellus swept her arms to the mystics gathered in the room. "It can be tiresome. But being Charm Lord has its moments."  
  
"I'll bet," Gen smirked, looking at Gina with knowing eyes.  
  
"So, um, what's the occasion?" Lute asked.  
  
"Occasion?" Asellus asked.  
  
"Yeah, what's with the party?"  
  
"This is where I announce to the rest of mystickind that they had a new Lord. I don't just rule over this region, you know. I'm Lord of all Mystics."  
  
"Wait a minute," Gen said, crossing his arms. "You're saying that all the mystics in existence have to bow down before you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh, that is sweet."  
  
Asellus's lips drew into a sly, coy smile. "It'll only get sweeter. I wanted you all here to see where a new age starts." She took a step away from her old friends. "Pardon me, but I've got to make my announcement." She glided towards the great thorn framed throne, Gina riding along by the hand.  
  
Emelia nudged Gen in the ribs. "So?"  
  
"So what?"  
  
The blonde's eyes betrayed her annoyance. "Is she different?"  
  
Gen crossed his arms, staring at the back of Asellus's blooming dress as she went towards her throne. "Oh yeah. I'm impressed." Strong, confident, a sense of purpose, Asellus had come a long way from the frightened, hunted girl who clung to her White Rose like a helpless child clung to her mother.  
  
She was grown up now and he was proud of the difference. Before, she used to walk around as if she was going to see the end of the world, on the verge of tears at every moment. The slightest thing could set her off into a sobbing fit with White Rose having to cradle and console her. At the very least, her mood would be spoiled for the rest of the day. Anything could have sparked off a fit of depression: a dog wandering alone, a picture of a missing girl, the look on a stranger's face. Half the time, Gen didn't even know what had set her off. It made for depressing company.  
  
Once, they had come across a kid in the Manhattan Mall who claimed to have been abandoned by his mother. Asellus got even more upset than the child. She got so worked up, she started to scare the kid. Some onlookers actually called on security because of how hysterical Asellus had gotten. As it turned out, the dumb kid had wandered off from his mother told him to wait and lost his way.  
  
It was good to see that she'd gotten beyond whatever had troubled her before.  
  
"I don't know," Lute said. "She's like a completely different person. It's like the Asellus I remembered just disappeared."  
  
"You like this version?"  
  
"I don't know, yet."  
  
-----  
  
"Welcome to Chateau Aiguille, my darling mystics!" Asellus hadn't raised her voice, but it carried all across the room just the same. "I am Asellus and I am your new Lord."  
  
She was standing in front of her great throne, Gina standing just off to the side, standing patiently, her eyes always on her Lady. The Charm Lord's voice was cordial, but assertive. Asellus would brook no challenge to her claim on being Lord of all mystics.  
  
Rastaban smiled. His Lord's tone of voice was just right. The crowd's attention was completely on the speaker standing next to the throne. There were slight murmurs scattered around, but no one dared ignore Asellus's words.  
  
"The one you know as Orlouge is no more. All that remains of him is the blood that runs through my veins. But make no mistake. I am no mere imitator, no shadow of the old. My will makes me more than Orlouge could ever hope to be. I am the new Charm Lord and I expect your loyalty and much more."  
  
Rastaban could sense the irritation among the crowd. Who did this upstart girl think she was? He didn't think that the assembled mystics had quite accepted the fact that Orlouge was gone, even though the evidence was right in front of their eyes. Surely they didn't think this girl could mouth off about Orlouge this much without being struck dead on the spot, unless everything she was saying was true?  
  
Asellus began to spin around to look upon the other mystics that surrounded her. "I am aware that not everyone answered my summons. That disappoints me, but that can be forgiven this time. For now, you will listen and you will take these words to those who refused me.  
  
"For too long, Orlouge had commanded your loyalty without question, without giving anything in return. All his attention was focused on his own pleasures and nothing else. He allowed all of mystickind to weaken and shrink away to almost nothing. You all gave your wills to him for absolutely nothing in return. Because of this, you've been driven from your old homes, forced to hide, become little more than myth and stories."  
  
Asellus cut her hand through the air as neatly as a knife blade. "That time is over!" she spat with emotion. "Mystics once ruled over the regions and it is time we be recognized once again! Obey me and I shall bring you an existence where you do not need to fear, do not have to hide, do not have to feel apart from most of existence! You will know joy, you will know freedom, and you will know power!"  
  
Her voice calmed back to the even tone she started with. "All I want in return is your loyalty." She strode from the throne and Gina quickly moved to her side. "A new age is upon us," Asellus called out. "Let us celebrate its beginnings here."  
  
The assembled mystics stood in silence, stood in disbelief. For as long as mystics had existed, Orlouge had been their Lord. Mystics didn't easily accept change of any kind, even if it was for the better. It was a flaw that was deeply ingrained in the mystic race as a whole, Rastaban mused. Mystics were given a role and they stuck with it, no matter what. Only the most monumental events could sway a mystic from his zombie-like devotion to tradition. They lacked. . .he supposed it was called "drive", "ambition". They never looked forward, only looked to the past.  
  
But Asellus had that unknown quality. She was most definitely the one who would take the mystics to new places. He knew it almost from the moment he saw her approach Orlouge in this throne room for the very first time.  
  
"Quite the speech, eh?" Rastaban commented.  
  
"Don't you see where this is going to take us?" Ildon said. "She'll bring us to war against the humans."  
  
"Well, I'd say it's about time they realized that there are others who have a claim on existence. Our Lord is right. The humans had edged us out of our homes time and again. If it keeps up, there won't be any place for us to retreat to."  
  
"You do remember the last time we warred against the humans, Princess Lion was still among them? They almost won. And they didn't even have the technology and machines they do now."  
  
"But they aren't as united as they used to be, either. As long as they are kept fractured, there won't be any problems. Don't worry, Ildon. Our Lord knows what she is doing."  
  
Ildon crossed his arms and stared off at Asellus. He could not understand the will to move forward, to improve. He didn't have ambition.  
  
But Asellus wasn't the only one who had ambition. Long before she came, Rastaban knew he was different from the others. He had seen how far mystics had fallen in the grand scheme of things and he had dreamed of becoming Charm Lord, of leading the mystics to their former glory. The only thing that had been in the way was Orlouge himself.  
  
Honestly, he had never thought that Asellus would be able to dispatch the old Charm Lord. He had planned on coming in after the battle between father and daughter was over and take out the battered victor, whom he was positive was going to be Orlouge. Imagine his surprise when he saw that it was Asellus who stood in the aftermath.  
  
He supposed he still could have easily done away with her, but Ildon had also survived. Rastaban knew that Ildon would have launched himself to her defense and he didn't want to kill his friend. Poor fool, he thought. He shared the same flaw that plagued all mystics. He couldn't see beyond his role as Asellus's protector.  
  
True, it was he who had sent Ildon to Asellus, thus setting him on a path against the Charm Lord, thus sending him to his doom, but there was a huge difference between sending a friend off to be sacrificed for the greater good and actually dealing the death by your own hand. Rastaban knew he couldn't steel himself to do that. Ildon surviving was a gift, not one to be wasted.  
  
In any case, the way things turned out might have even been better. Rastaban knew his limits. He knew Asellus would make the better leader, at least for now. She would take the mystics far beyond what he could have done in the same position. Once she'd taken the mystics to their limits, then it might be time for a change in leadership.  
  
And he wasn't completely powerless. He had one minor puppet string to pull Asellus into directions he wanted: her beloved Gina. Willful as she was, the Charm Lord at least listened to the words of her first Princess.  
  
It had worked out so well, so elegantly. He brought the Charm Lord's beloved girl when she needed her the most, casting him in a good light with Asellus. Then a quickly thought up lie that put the responsibility for Gina's kidnapping on Orlouge, with himself as the unwilling servant, made his standing with Gina all the better. In the time that followed, Rastaban made sure to gain Gina's trust. She confided in him many of her worries, most of which had to do with her darling Lady Asellus. It gave him insight into what his Lord was thinking.  
  
Naturally, in return, he would give advice to Gina on how to deal with her troubles. And with luck, some of that advice would reach the Charm Lord's ears. In this way, he could somewhat steer the course of events to come, the decisions to be made. It was limited control, but in some ways it was better than if he were on the throne. All the attention would be focused on Lord Asellus, not him. He could direct events without worrying about the consequences.  
  
Really, it was more his style. While Asellus was out in the world, having violent, bloody adventures, fighting for her life, he was back in Chateau Aiguille placing poisonous whispers in important ears. Everyone had played their parts so well and he hadn't even had to direct them all. Many of them simply acted within their own natures. Ciato's greed, Gina's innocence, White Rose's devotion, Orlouge's anger, Ildon's view of mystichood, Asellus's sense of loneliness and vengeance, all of them had played so well into Rastaban's plans.  
  
While he was a powerful and capable warrior, he knew that a mystic fared better away from direct combat. Cunning, illusion, deceit, these were the true strengths, the proper tools of a mystic. And he would continue to use these tools to his advantage.  
  
Rastaban smirked as he watched his Lord rejoin with her human companions. He would have his turn on the throne in time. There was one quality he had that she lacked: patience. 


	5. Whispers

Asellus's human friends eyed her as she returned from her speech. Emelia was looking at her strangley, Lute looked shocked, Gen seemed to approve, and Charlie was looking at her with his mouth wide open. She couldn't say that all their reactions were good, but she could definitely say that she'd made an impression on each of them. Whatever their reaction, they all betrayed the surprise of seeing something new, something they hadn't seen before in her.  
  
She paused a moment to delay a passing servant. He stood stiffly, the fear readable in his purple eyes.  
  
"You," Asellus adressed firmly. She looked to Gen. "Get my friend a drink."  
  
There was the slightest bit of hesitation on the servant's part. Asellus could practically read his mind, and it had nothing to do with her mystic gifts. Me? You want me to serve a lowly human? Then she saw him briefly weigh the embarrassment of serving a human against the consequences of disobeying his Lord. No contest. "Yes, my Lord," he said with only a slight quiver in his voice. He moved away, but suddenly stopped as Asellus held him in place with an unseen hand. She saw his hand trembling when he realized he couldn't move.  
  
"And if he, or any of my guests asks anything of you, you will not hesitate to satisfy them like you did with me."  
  
The servant paled as he realized that his Lord had called him on his transgression. "Yes, my Lord. Please forgive me." As soon as his Lord released him he bowed.  
  
"I don't see you getting my friend his drink."  
  
The servant abruptly stood to attention and strode off.  
  
Asellus shook her head slightly. "Unbelievable."  
  
She felt the grip on her hand tighten a bit. She looked to Gina, who had a worried look on her face. "Please don't be mad," she said, almost pleading. She never could stand it when people were angry, especially her own beloved Lady. It frightened her. Sometimes it even looked like she was scared of her own Lady Asellus. Scared of her, of all people! It could be irksome, but that was Gina.  
  
"You'd think by now they'd know who their Lord is," Asellus said darkly. She shook her head, shaking away the dark mood. "I can't just let these things slide, you know. They look down upon my friends. I'm not about to let the servants tell me what kind of company I can keep."  
  
"I guess so," Gina said. Even she had to know that she joined the mystics with stark disapproval from the others. Asellus was glad to see the fear lift from her face. "Still, Mister Gen has already had three bottles of wine. He might have already had enough."  
  
"He's just getting started."  
  
Asellus's human friends had all gotten over their initial reactions to her speech and composed themselves by the time she strode up to them.  
  
"Man, girl," Gen said, approval still on his face. "You sure know how to work a crowd."  
  
"That's some speech," Emelia added, though Asellus couldn't quite say that she approved.  
  
Asellus smiled her usual cold smile. "It's only mystic affairs." Then she felt a more natural smile come on and showed it to Gina. "But now that's done. Let's have fun."  
  
Asellus clapped her hands together once. The sound echoed through the whole room and everyone stopped what they were doing as if slapped. "Music!" she called out.  
  
At first, nothing. It had been long, too long since the sound of music flowed through the halls of Chateau Aiguille. Too long since anyone asked for the musicians' services. Orlouge had the title of "Pursuer of Beauty", but that beauty was mostly visual. Music and song hadn't played in Chateau Aiguille, in all of Facinaturu for that matter, for centuries. Maybe a soft, sad song here, a rebellious tune in a locked room there, the very rare private performance for the Charm Lord, but nothing meant to be shared with all. Dust and silence had ruled together in this land for a long time and it was difficult to shake loose of their tyranny.  
  
On the other hand, the musicians saw their current Charm Lord losing patience. A deep note on an age old violin started things off. Soon it was joined by an entire orchestra of ancient instruments and they turned it into a slow, graceful song in the classical style. However long they'd let their skills lay silent, the mystic musicians hadn't lost their touch.  
  
Music was an alien presence in Chateau Aiguille and all the mystics stood stiffly and in confusion, as if they were still listening to the speech of the new Charm Lord. Even those who lived away from the reaches of Facinaturu knew this was something new and strange.  
  
Of course, the Lord would have the first dance. Asellus stepped down from the throne and into the center of the room. She looked to Gina and held out an inviting hand. Her first Princess glided towards her with a rare show of grace that matched her Lady's and took the hand. Staring into each other eyes, matching their smiles together, they spun a circle between themselves and began to dance.  
  
-----  
  
"That is one odd couple," Emelia said as Asellus and Gina glided across the floor in unison.  
  
"She seems nice enough," Lute said. "A lot different from White Rose, though."  
  
Gen had a wicked smile on his face. "I can picture it," he said, licking his lips. "Oh, yeah, I can picture it real well."  
  
Emelia rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"Sir."  
  
The humans turned to one of the mystic servants. The purple eyed mystic stared directly at Gen, blatantly ignoring all the others. He handed over a dark green bottle to the samurai. "With Lord Asellus's compliments," he said. As soon as the last word left his mouth, he spun on his heel and strode away.  
  
Gen lifted the bottle appreciatively. "Hey, thanks!" he called out to the mystic's back. "Remind me to give you a tip!"  
  
The servant paused for only a moment. He might have tilted his head a bit. Then he resumed his retreat as quickly as before.  
  
Emelia hissed. "Snob."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Gen said, uncorking the bottle and tilting it towards his lips.  
  
Emelia groaned. "You are so blind."  
  
Gen gulped down half the bottle before even bothering to take another breath. "Whatever. How about we dance?"  
  
"With you? Oh, that'll be a sight. I guess the mystics here could use a laugh."  
  
Gen smiled faintly. "Gimme a shot, that's all I ask."  
  
"Are you gonna let go of the bottle?"  
  
The smile faded. The samurai looked to the bottle, then her, the bottle, and her again. "Oh, alright, if you really have to have it that way." He handed the bottle over to Lute. "Hold this for me. And don't drink any of it!"  
  
Lute eyed the rim of the bottle, where Gen's lips had smothered all over not even a minute ago. "No problem."  
  
Gen took a moment to wipe his lips with the back of his hand. He then suddenly stood straight and strode to the dance floor and offered his hand to Emelia, just like Asellus had offered hers to Gina. He didn't look drunk at all, now.  
  
Emelia took a moment to appraise the Wakatu samurai, not quite believing what she was seeing. Shrugging, she met him on the floor.  
  
"Milady?" Gen said with courtly manner.  
  
Emelia let out a sarcastic gasp and took his hand. They were the second couple to actually start dancing. "What is with these people?" she spat, looking over Gen's shoulder at all the mystics who simply stared out on the nearly empty floor. "You'd think they'd never heard of dancing before."  
  
"Hey, more space for us," Gen said, leading her to the left.  
  
The music was slow and stately and the dance was strictly of the ballroom variety, slow and measured even by those standards. Emelia had experience from the many parties she'd attended as a model, but she was afraid for Gen.  
  
Much to her surprise, he was pretty good at it. Maybe they weren't as smooth as Asellus and Gina were, but at least they weren't looking like fools. Still, she felt a little out of place being one of only two couples on the dance floor. "Where did you learn to do this?" she asked as Gen spun her round.  
  
"Old Wakatu ceremonial dance. What, you thought all we did was wave around our samurai swords in our spare time?"  
  
"It's just a side of you I never seen before."  
  
The couple slid close to Asellus and Gina and drifted away again before Gen spoke. "Night's full of surprises, don't you think? Never knew lil' Asellus could make a speech like that."  
  
"Neither did I," Emelia said, glancing back at the other couple.  
  
They danced awhile, the music always keeping its slow, trodding pace. Emelia let herself sink into the hypnotic trance of the song, stepping and spinning in tune, allowing the world to dissolve into the simple movements of dance. It was kind of nice after all the worries she'd been put through. It was good to let go, if only for a little while.  
  
Finally, the mystic audience seemed to have gotten over their confusion as to what was going on. Finally, the boldest among them ventured out into the dance floor and started to fill the void their Lord had set for them. They danced and with every step, their fine clothing and jewelry caught the light, making the whole room alive with shimmering, sparkling glitter. Whenever a mystic pair loomed into view, Emelia couldn't help but be distracted by the twinkling lights they gave off.  
  
"Uh oh," Gen smiled. "Looks like Asellus is coming to take you away from me."  
  
"She is?" Emelia turned and saw the Charm Lord approaching, that smooth grace still defining her movements. The warm, natural smile on her face made Emelia feel a little more at ease, but the fact was that she was a little nervous at having to be alone with Asellus, especially after that weird encounter before the party.  
  
"Careful, girl," Gen said. "She's got a hungry look on her."  
  
He meant it as a joke, of course, but Emelia didn't take it as one.  
  
-----  
  
When her Lady offered a hand on the dance floor, Gina felt her insides flutter with relief and delight. Finally, her Lady had turned her attention from all the things that distanced her from her Princess. It was when Lady Asellus turned her beautiful eyes upon her that Gina felt happiest. Any time she was away, when her eyes looked to someone else, Gina couldn't help but feel abandoned. Pangs of jealousy assaulted her constantly. She knew it was unfair to feel that way, but it was what came naturally. She couldn't deny it.  
  
She could feel her smile widen with each step her Lady led her through. It made her feel special, knowing that with all the things on her Lady's mind, with all her friends here, with all her mystic subjects watching, it was she that her Lady would focus her eyes upon. For all the people that populated this place, the world was just she and her Lady and the dance they weaved together.  
  
Just feeling the touch of her Lady was a delight. Gina loved the firm grip Lady Asellus kept, the way she guided her so surely, kept her close when she felt she was about to drift away. She never felt unsure or worried when Asellus's eyes were upon her.  
  
As they danced, Asellus would sometimes draw enticingly close, her lips drifting near, only to draw away just as Gina felt they were about to kiss. She did this several times, tricking her Princess each time, always leaving her just a brush away from consumation. Lady Asellus liked to tease sometimes. It was cruel, but it only made her hunger after her Lady's caress all the more.  
  
"You dance divinely, Gina," Asellus purred, drawing close, her lips parting slightly.  
  
This time Gina resolved not to be tricked again. "Thank you, Lady Asellus. I, I never danced before, you know."  
  
"You're a natural, darling." Asellus drew closer. "I've never danced, either."  
  
This got Gina's surprise. "Really?"  
  
"Not with you," she smiled coyly. Her eyes grew distant, recalling a memory. "Me and White Rose danced before."  
  
Gina's eyes went downcast. "Oh." She felt foolish. Of course her Lady would be experienced in such things. She was experienced in so many things. And she, she was just a tailor's maid in a fancy dress. Strip it all away and she was still just a simple tailor's maid out of her league among the noble mystics. A poor substitute for Lady Asellus's lost White Rose. Everyone in Chateau Aiguille thought it, whispered it to each other. And yes, there were times when she'd be jealous of White Rose, a woman she'd never even met. She couldn't even compete with a memory.  
  
That was what everyone said. Rastaban told her not to worry about it. He said that he couldn't remember the last time the mystics actually welcomed a newcomer to their kingdom, if it had ever happened in all of mystic history. Still, there were times when Gina doubted herself, wondered if they were all right. How could so many people be wrong?  
  
Asellus's eyes were still locked in memory. Gina felt herself falter. "It was one of those rare times we actually took the time to enjoy ourselves. It was a little after my aunt rejected me. We were in some dance hall in Shrike. I guess White Rose figured I needed some cheering up. I'd never danced. I didn't want to. I was afraid of looking foolish." She smiled a faint, honest smile. "Of course she'd danced many times before and I was intimidated. I knew I'd look stupid. But she told me not to worry. She said it was her first time, too."  
  
"Huh?" Gina looked up. "I thought you said she'd danced many times before."  
  
"She said that it was her first time with me. No matter how many times she'd danced with others, it was her first time with me. She said that you never know how well you'll fit with someone else when it's your first time with them, no matter how much experience you've had with others."  
  
"Oh," was all Gina could say. That was a pretty wise thing White Rose had said. Especially compared to her own one word answer to it. She felt like she really couldn't compete with a memory.  
  
"You know," Asellus said, smiling, pulling Gina closer than they ever had been through the entire dance. "I think we fit wonderfully."  
  
That brought Gina's spirits up. Once again, she was staring into her Lady's eyes, which were staring back at her with loving attention. Their lips were only a finger's width away from each other. Asellus edged herself just a little close and Gina felt herself reaching for those lips.  
  
Then her Lady reared back, the coy smile back in full force again. She leaned forward and pecked her on the cheek. "I'll come back for you later." She released her hold on Gina and strode away. Gina couldn't do anything but stand shocked for a moment. Then, bewildered, she turned to see her Lady stride over to Emelia and Gen. She already knew whose hand she would ask for.  
  
It burned her to know that she'd been tricked again, but Gina was more concerned with how her Lady looked when she took Emelia's hand. One of the more popular rumors circulating around Chateau Aiguille was that Lady Asellus was going to make a new addition to her throne, maybe from among the humans she'd invited to the party. Gina had no doubts who it was going to be if the rumor was true.  
  
She turned away, slowly trodding her way to Lute and Charlie, still reeling from the sudden abandonment. She could see the other mystics on the sidelines whispering to each other, starting new rumors, laughing. Gen sped past her, making a beeline for the bottle Lute was holding. As she passed some dancing mystics, she could hear the echoes of mocking laughter as they circled away. She already knew what they were thinking.  
  
She's, she's not replacing me, is she?  
  
Midway towards reaching the two men, Gina turned back again to see Asellus with Emelia. That smile her Lady had, she'd always reserved that for her alone before. Now. . .  
  
"Hey, Gina, you wanna dance?"  
  
She turned to Lute, a bewildered look on her face. Just before Lute could repeat himself, she recovered. "Um, yes, very well."  
  
The human took her limp, lifeless hand and guided her back to the dance floor. Gina knew it was rude, but she couldn't help but look towards her Lady and her new dancing partner. They danced well together. With long, rich blonde hair, pleasing form, and a practiced grace, Emelia was beautiful, almost as stunning as her Lady. She heard that she had been a model before. How could she hope to compete with her?  
  
Maybe the competition was over before it already started. Maybe I was just here to pass the time before Lady Asellus. . .  
  
"Uh, Gina, you are dancing with me, aren't you?" Lute asked, breaking through her doubts. So far, she'd been dancing with all the life of a puppet. Lute had to struggle just to get her limbs moving.  
  
Gina finally turned to look to her partner. "Oh, yes, I'm sorry, Lute. I. . .I just. . ."  
  
Lute looked to where Gina had been looking. "I wouldn't worry about it, Gina. I don't think Emelia's into girls."  
  
Gina took another glimpse at her Lady before politely looking back to Lute again. "I'm sorry. It's just that recently Lady Asellus has been busy with so many things, we hardly spend time with each other. She's always going on about her plans. She says it's all for our benefit" She sighed. "But sometimes I just wish that she'd be happy with what she already has."  
  
-----  
  
Gen's little joke of a warning had put Emelia on guard, but the experience wasn't as bad as she had prepared it to be. It looked like Asellus only wanted to dance and while she had that cold, creepy smile for the first couple of minutes, it faded into the warmer, more comforting smile that Emelia remembered her friend used to sport on rare occasions. Emelia made sure to keep the dance at a respectable distance, even though Asellus was leading. She noticed the long, worried stares Gina kept aiming at her.  
  
"How do you like it here?" Asellus asked.  
  
Emelia looked around at the finely dressed mystics, the thorn framed throne, the high ceiling of carved stone and shrugged. "It's alright." Though it's not to my taste.  
  
Asellus laughed. "You don't have to spare my feelings. Most of this stuff is leftover from the former Lord. I hated it here before I escaped." She sighed. "I'm trying to redecorate, but it's hard to find anything I like around here. Every craftsman here builds things to the old Lord's tastes."  
  
"Yeah, I can imagine. Maybe you ought to go out into the human world and bring back a few things?"  
  
Asellus brightened at the idea. "Certainly. Though it would be pretty hard to get any of my servants to go out into the human world." She paused and let the matter pass. "It's good to see you again, all of you, but you especially." Asellus's eyes went downcast, definitely reminding Emelia of the old Asellus. "It can get pretty lonely around here."  
  
Emelia rolled her eyes skyward, appreciating just how high the ceiling was, how much empty space occupied this room and the rest of the castle. "I can imagine that, too. But you have Gina, don't you?"  
  
Asellus laughed. "Of course. . ."  
  
"But?"  
  
"But nothing. I love her." She sighed and laughed, though not particularly amused. "But. . .she's only a part of my life. You, Gen, Lute, White Rose, all of you were a part of me, then fate just ripped you all away."  
  
"And now we're back."  
  
"But only for a little while."  
  
"We can always visit every so often."  
  
"Yes, every so often. You know a few moments here can be eternity?" Asellus pulled her a little closer and spun her around, giving Emelia a full view of Gina staring at her over Lute's shoulder. She also started to notice the little sideways glances the other mystic dancers were aiming her way. "You know, it would be nice if you'd stay here a while. This place could use a little life."  
  
Had Asellus approached her earlier, Emelia was going to say no, make up an excuse, any sort of excuse to get herself away. But now, after seeing her act more like her old self, she wasn't sure. It was true that she didn't have much waiting for her back in the human world. Nothing besides a warrant for her arrest. And Facinaturu was pretty much out of IRPO jurisdiction.  
  
But she didn't like the way the other mystics were looking at her. And she didn't want Gina to get the wrong idea.  
  
"I don't know. I'll have to think about it."  
  
"Of course." Asellus led her through a graceful twirl that would up with them standing back to back with each other. "I'll see you later. My Gina looks like she needs a little attention," she said with a smirk.  
  
-----  
  
"May I, Lute?"  
  
The blue haired musician stepped aside and let Asellus take Gina's hand. He lingered, maybe to appreciate the sight of the two together before moving to join with the rest of human audience.  
  
Even her Lady's presence wasn't enough to get rid of the doubts and worries running through Gina's mind. She couldn't help but sneak a glance at Emelia as she went to join with her friends. Asellus took up a limp hand and looked at a downcast face.  
  
"What's wrong, Gina?"  
  
Gina lifted her head only slightly. "Nothing. It's nothing," she said with forced steadiness.  
  
Asellus's eyes narrowed slyly and darted to the side, catching Emelia as she passed by. "You're not jealous are you?" she said with a laugh.  
  
"N - no," Gina said apologetically, thus revealing herself. "That's not it at all. . .I. . ."  
  
Asellus laid a gentle hand on her cheek. "You needn't be, Gina."  
  
"I - I know I don't have any right to be, but I just can't. . ."  
  
Asellus put a finger to her lips. "Sh. Let me tell you right now that you are my most precious thing. I feel things with you that I don't feel with anyone else. With anyone else," she repeated, emphasizing her words.  
  
"What about White Rose?"  
  
Asellus suddenly reared back, shock clear on her face. Even Gina couldn't believe how blunt she'd been. She felt afraid suddenly, afraid that something was going to happen, afraid that she'd ruined everything with a few hasty words. She reared back, flinched, as if Asellus was going to strike her.  
  
Instead, Asellus gently pulled her back and shook her head. She pulled her close, so that their foreheads were touching. Gina could feel her Lady's breath against her. "She's gone. Even if she comes back, you're the one I feel these things for. Only you."  
  
Gina was on the verge of tears. How could she have had so little faith in her Lady? "Lady Asellus. . .I'm so sorry. I didn't mean. . ."  
  
"Shhh," Asellus cooed. "It's nothing."  
  
"No, it's not." Gina forced herself straight. She looked around at the other mystics, all their banter and gossip an affront to her and her Lady. Lady Asellus had always had to bail her out, kept her from being the outright laughing stock of Facinaturu. As it was, everyone merely laughed behind their backs. It was time to stop acting like a simple child, time to stop giving them reason to laugh.  
  
Gina reached around her Lady's head and undid her tightly bound hair. It fell loose around her shoulders, wild, snaky mystic hair. Again, Asellus reared back, just as surprised as before, though this time it was pleasantly so. "I have to make it up to you." Gina reached and combed her fingers through that lustrous green hair, luxuriating in the feel.  
  
She could hear her Lady take in a breath sharply. She laid a gentle finger around her neck. She could feel her pulse quickening. Yes, it was true, there were certain things that she alone could make Asellus feel. She, the simple tailor's maid, was the only person in all the universe who could make her Lady, perhaps the most powerful being in existence, breathe the way she was now, make her heart beat as it did now.  
  
"Gina," Asellus said in a whisper, her breathing still excited. She clutched the back of her head and ran her fingers through, undoing the delicate knots and braids, letting it fall around her neck. She pulled her in so that only a sliver of space was between their lips.  
  
Now the ex-maid could hear the murmurs of the other mystics again and this time they didn't sound so mocking. She thought the laughter was almost approving.  
  
"Let's get out of here."  
  
Gina felt herself starting to fade as they teleported away from the party, but before they did, she sneaked one last triumphant look to Emelia, who was gawking at her, arms crossed, with an expression of shock.  
  
-----  
  
Lute held a hand to his lips, shock clear on his face. "Whoa."  
  
Gen had an ear to ear grin and pointed at the space Asellus and Gina used to occupy. "Now, *that's* a side of Asellus I've never seen. Always pictured it, but you know. . ." He turned to Emelia. "Makes you wonder what else goes on in these lonely castle walls, don't it?"  
  
Emelia's arms were still crossed. She had to admit, she was a little annoyed with that smirk on Gina's face just before they left. Did she really think that she was trying to compete with her? She looked to Gen and answered, "Well, yes and no." 


	6. Uninvited

With their Lord out of the way, the assembled mystics were more bold with their disdain for the human guests. The sideways glances became longer, became outright sneers. Every time Emelia turned to meet a hostile gaze, all she saw was a cold turning of the head.  
  
Some of the gazes weren't quite so hostile. Emelia caught the occasional set of the eyes that seemed more curious than anything else. It was like they were looking at some marvelous creature in a zoo for the very first time. Others seemed to be sizing her up, assessing her value. Or something like that. She wasn't quite sure what they were looking at that was so fascinating. And in a few, a very few, Emelia caught something that might have been fear.  
  
The others noticed the collective cold shoulder, too. Lute and Charlie pretty much huddled next to each other near a wall, alternating between chatting and feeling out of place. Gen, on the other hand, was totally oblivious, chugging more mystic wine, ambling around the dance floor, asking the mystic women to dance, nodding to everyone like they were good friends, and overall making an incredible nuisance of himself. The fact that he seemed to be enjoying himself seemed to infuriate the mystics even more. He even managed to get a dance or two from some of the women. It brought a certain inner smile to Emelia.  
  
For her part, she pretty much stayed out of everyone's way, just a little off to the side from Lute and Charlie, gazing out onto the dance floor, keeping her face as aloof as the mystics that swirled about and made such a show in not noticing her. Time wore on. Then Ildon and the mystic he had been talking approached, Ildon slightly behind.  
  
His armor was black and powerful looking. As he moved, Emelia noted how the armor didn't seem to slow him down in the least. It was as if the armor was merely an extension of his body. He had a warm smile that was strangely out of place in this room. He looked very amused by something, and though Emelia had no idea by what, she got the distinct feeling that maybe it was her.  
  
"Hello," he said, extending his hand. "You're a friend of my Lord's, correct? Emelia, yes? I don't believe I've had the pleasure."  
  
"Uh, hi," Emelia returned, shaking the mailed fist. She did all the shaking, which wasn't much, the mail gloves cold to the touch. "And you are?"  
  
"Rastaban, knight of the realm."  
  
"Oh. Do you knights have to walk around in armor all the time?"  
  
He laughed. "No, of course not. I just felt. . ."  
  
"Like standing out in the crowd," Ildon chimed in with perfect timing. "Like you *always* do."  
  
Rastaban aimed a sideways glance at the other mystic. "Ildon, don't be such an old maid." Emelia couldn't help but smile at the crack. Ildon did sound like a nagging wife. Both men turned their attention back to her. "So tell me, what do you think of the place?"  
  
She gave the same response she gave to Asellus. "It's alright."  
  
"Ha! You obviously haven't been here very long. Believe me, this place could always use a good shaking up." His eyes leered over to the many mystics still on the dance floor. "And don't let any of those petty dogs get to you. They're always jealous of newcomers."  
  
"Jealous? Why would they be jealous of me?"  
  
Rastaban snickered. "Because they're mystics. Narrow minded and short sighted, as always."  
  
Emelia furrowed her eyes. "Huh?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing. Somehow they believe that existing for several hundred years entitles them to more of life's pleasures than someone who hasn't lived as long." He shrugged. "It's just something you notice after several millennia."  
  
"Yes, it's amazing," Ildon said flatly. "You came up with those astounding insights after two thousand years?"  
  
This time Rastaban didn't bother to answer, keeping his attention to Emelia. "But you know, things aren't all bad here. Facinaturu does have its own. . .pleasures. Will you be staying a while?"  
  
"I don't know. Asellus offered to let me stay, but. . .I don't want to impose."  
  
"Impose?" Rastaban laughed. "Perhaps you haven't seen just how much empty space is in these halls. Believe me, you won't be imposing. I know Lord Asellus would be delighted to have you here with her. The longer, the better. As I've said, this place could use a good shaking up every now and then. I think you might be the one to do it."  
  
"Where have I heard this before?" Ildon intoned dryly.  
  
Rastaban turned to Ildon, a bright smile on his face. "Who was right last time, Ildon?"  
  
"What are you two babbling on about?" Emelia demanded.  
  
"You'll see, maybe," Rastaban grinned.  
  
Now it was Ildon's turn to ignore his friend in favor of Emelia. "Would you like to be shown to your quarters?"  
  
"Ildon, please," Rastaban protested. "Let her have her fun. She's just barely had a taste of the place."  
  
"No," Emelia said. "I think I'm partied out. Let's go."  
  
"Hmm," the knight said with a soft smile. "I hope I'll be seeing you later, Emelia. I know you'd make this realm a much richer place."  
  
Emelia couldn't help but look back as she left the grand room. "OK," she asked. "What was that all about?"  
  
"Rastaban?" Ildon said with just a touch of smiling emotion. "Don't worry about him. He always likes to keep people guessing."  
  
Emelia shook her head. "Very odd."  
  
This time they walked the full length up the sloping steps of Chateau Aiguille, no matter how much Emelia pleaded for Ildon to teleport them around. The distance was long, the steps were steep, and the winds were howling. They walked headway against the wind, so their clothes clung and outlined their figures tightly, the rest trailing behind them in overly dramatic fashion. His reasoning for not teleporting so was that she'd be better off knowing the way around the place, just in case.  
  
"Just in case of what?" Emelia called out over the wind.  
  
"Just in case," Ildon repeated. Even though his voice was raised, it was as flat as ever.  
  
Stepping in through the cavelike entrance, Emelia was relieved to get out of that wind. She did a brief pat of her hair, already knowing that it was in wild disarray. She had no idea how Ildon's long, green hair managed to stay exactly the same through that hurricane outside, but he had no problems. If he was getting a laugh out of the state of her hair, he wasn't showing it.  
  
They were in a great dome of a place, with glowing stones , shadowed alcoves, and ancient tile on the floor, much like the room Emelia had meet Asellus in. There was a slight difference she noticed, however. On the ground, there were dark outlines of various shapes that stained the tile, like long standing furniture had been moved recently and no one had bothered to clean up the ages of grunge that had collected around them. Some of the outlines were very strange looking. They almost looked like the shape of. . .coffins.  
  
Ildon noticed Emelia's eyes lingering over an outline that couldn't have been mistaken for anything else other than a coffin. "This used to be the quarters for the. . .previous tenants," he explained, having difficulty coming up with the proper words to finish his sentence.  
  
"Oh. What happened to them?" Emelia asked, still studying the outline to her left.  
  
"They. . .left," Ildon said stiffly. He looked over some of the outlines himself, apparently occupied in his own thoughts. He snapped out of it quickly and strode up a short number of steps leading into an ornate doorway. "This way, please."  
  
Emelia followed, a bit put off by Ildon's strange reaction to the room. She entered what looked like a pretty basic bedroom, for Facinaturu. There was a bed, a full length mirror, a window, a small dresser, all done up in the sharp shapes and ornate styles the mystics here seemed to love so much. She saw her usual clothes neatly hung over a fold out changing screen. She took one look at herself in the mirror and grimaced. She started straightening out her hair immediately.  
  
"If you need. . ." Ildon started and then stopped, looking around suspiciously. This, in turn, made Emelia suspicious and she eyed her surroundings also.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
Ignoring her, the mystic strode to one end of the room and then another, staring at a wall or the floor intently. After a short time of this, he stopped and addressed her again. "If you need anything, just call my name. I will come." He straightened his back and glanced to his left suddenly before speaking again. "Please do not wander around the castle without an escort. Much of the back end of the castle is teeming with monsters and some of them do sneak into the front from time to time." He bowed. "Madam." And faded.  
  
Just a few moments later, a snickering that seemed to come from nowhere echoed through the room. Fading into view, right in the middle of the room, arrived a face that Emelia recognized immediately. The fire colored hair, the rough, worn clothes, but most of all, that cocky look on his face, like he knew you weren't as smart as him, sparked old memories.  
  
She was on Trinity base, wearing next to nothing, with little more than a small ceramic knife hidden within the folds of a mostly see-through harem outfit that didn't leave very much to the imagination. Dancing in front of that literal pig of a man had to have been the most humiliating moment of her life. Even to this day, she hadn't forgiven Roufas for drugging her, selling her as a slave, and essentially tossing her into that hell without her consent. It took a lot of effort from Annie and Liza to convince her not to beat the Gradius leader to a pulp. He did, after all, *eventually* consent to her rescue. She supposed she should have considered herself lucky that dancing was all she had to do for the Trinity commander.  
  
The main reason for that was because of the being who had just materialized inside her room. Just as things were looking bad, the base came under attack and all hell broke loose as monsters ran amok around the "impregnable" Trinity base. After running through the chaos of all the soldiers and monsters fighting each other, she ran into this mystic, posing as an officer under attack. When she "rescued" him, he, of course, laughed at her. He tagged along, apparently just for fun, since he had a maniacal grin on his face the whole time, as she bumbled her way back and forth through the base, dodging guards and monsters alike till her comrades managed to pick her up.  
  
Still, she owed him for the distraction, so she was willing to give this mystic the benefit of the doubt as he appeared in the room. It was an effort not to draw her guns, though.  
  
The redhead mystic chuckled to himself, arms crossed over his chest. "Oh, Ildon," he said, shaking his head. "You're always so close."  
  
Emelia's arms were similarly crossed, though she didn't seem quite as amused.  
  
The mystic finally turned her way, as if just noticing her and smiled that same cocky smile. "Yo. Remember me?"  
  
"Yeah. I remember you. Didn't catch your name last time."  
  
"Zozma. And you're Emelia, right?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Everyone seems to know me around here."  
  
Zozma held up his arms to the side, "What can I say? People like to talk around here." He slowly sauntered around Emelia, his every movement oozing overconfidence. He stopped and pointed at Emelia. "Hey, you really need to fix that hair of yours."  
  
Emelia's arms were still crossed. Slowly, she let a hand go up to fix her hair. It *was* terrible. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Zozma's face mocked innocence. "Just checking up on an old friend."  
  
"Up to now, I didn't even know your name."  
  
Zozma leaned forward. "Did I say anything about you being an old friend?" He leaned back, studying for a reaction. Emelia was composed enough not to give one. Seeing that she wasn't that easy to manipulate, he strolled over to the bed and plopped himself down on it. "Hmm, nice bed. Not really enough room for two, though."  
  
"*What* are you doing here?" Emelia repeated with less patience.  
  
Still lying on the bed, Zozma rolled his head, smiling. "Oh, man, I know I've heard this before."  
  
Come to think of it, so had she. "You were that laugh outside the gates, weren't you?"  
  
Zozma shot up, a wide grin on his face. "Pretty quick, for a human." He pointed a wagging finger at her. "I knew you'd be one of the more interesting ones."  
  
"You were following me?"  
  
"Waiting for an opening. Took long enough. Don't tell me you actually found all those other mystics worth hanging around with?"  
  
"OK, seriously," Emelia said, clearly at the end of her patience. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Zozma held up his hands in front of him, as if pleading for mercy. "OK, OK. Truth is, I'm here to check up on you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
The mystic got to his feet, some of the initial joking manner fading. "I just feel you're entitled to know what you're about to get into, that's all."  
  
"If you don't get to the point, I'm going to. . ."  
  
"Alright, alright." He eyed her seriously now. "It's about 'Lord' Asellus."  
  
"What do you know about her?" Emelia asked guardedly.  
  
"More than you, I think. Like I said, I'm here to make sure you know what you're getting into."  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"I'm pretty sure you've noticed that she's a lot different from the last time you saw her."  
  
Emelia nodded.  
  
"Well, let me tell you, she is definitely *not* the Asellus you remembered. She's a completely different person."  
  
"I think I know this."  
  
"Oh, I don't think you do. You just don't know what she's capable of now, do you? Tell me, has she made an offer to you to stay here in Facinaturu?"  
  
"That's right," Emelia answered.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I said I'd think about it."  
  
"Right. I think that proves you don't know jack about her."  
  
Emelia frowned. "Can you please move this along?"  
  
Zozma stared at her thoughtfully. "Hmm. I can tell. She's hasn't made you *the* offer just yet."  
  
"What offer?"  
  
"*The* offer."  
  
Emelia blew out a breath. "OK, I am just one step away from. . ."  
  
"She hasn't asked you if you wanted to be turned into a mystic, has she?"  
  
Emelia was silent for a moment. "What makes you think she wants to do that to me?"  
  
"You seem like a dear little trinket to her. I'm sure she'd like to keep you in her possession for forever." He grinned again, though it looked like he didn't find things as funny as before. He strolled to a spot in the room and gazed around it, focusing on the doorway in the end. His face took on a wry, sour look. "Why don't we take a walk? I feel like talking somewhere else."  
  
"I don't think so. I'm not going anywhere with you."  
  
Zozma's lips curled slightly, then formed a tight grin. "Fair enough. If that makes you feel any safer. You're not, you know." He sat on the bed again, arms crossed, not looking nearly as cocky as before.  
  
"How do you know Asellus?" Emelia asked.  
  
"I'd been keeping an eye on her for a long time, before all this Charm Lord stuff. Never thought she'd turn out like this." He looked over at Emelia, who had taken a seat next to him. "I hooked up with her a little after that whole thing at Trinity Base. She'd just lost White Rose and everyone else just left after that." He laughed. "All she had left was that weird turnip for company. She looked like she could've used my company." He shook his head. "Thought I finally found a friend. Just fell under her spell like everyone else."  
  
"Spell?"  
  
Zozma threw up his hands. "One of the many powers of the Charm Lord. Love her or hate her, people feel an instant attraction to the Lord of Mystics. Whatever you feel about her, you can't get her out of your mind. All of a sudden, your whole life revolves around this one person. Surely you've felt it when you were on the road with her?"  
  
Emelia cast her gaze to the side, eyes unsure. She remembered all the drama that had played out between everyone when she'd been traveling with Asellus. She remembered thinking how much Asellus needed someone to watch out for her. Gen and Lute felt very much the same. That's why they stayed for so long. That's why Emelia had blown off her duties to Gradius for so long. They'd based their decisions on Asellus's needs. It couldn't have been the effects of a spell, could it? The feelings had to have been genuine. Still, she felt the doubt tugging at her.  
  
Zozma chuckled. "It's amazing, don't you think? It's not even something she has to try at. She's like a magnet or something." He shook his head. "Should've been smarter than that. I played myself like a fool."  
  
"Sounds like Asellus really hurt you," Emelia remarked.  
  
"It's mostly my own fault. Don't worry about it, I'm resilient."  
  
"So what are you trying to warn me about? What's so dangerous about Asellus?"  
  
"First off, you're already forgetting the fact that she's not Asellus. Let me make this clear to you: Asellus does not exist anymore. She's an all consuming monster. If you stay here and let her trick you, you're just going to another victim of her appetites."  
  
"What, you're saying Asellus is going to eat me?"  
  
This sent Zozma into a round of laughs. He had to hold his hand over his gut as he finished. "In oh so many ways, yes. You'd do well to keep your distance from her. Run as far as you can."  
  
"So when she makes 'the offer', I should refuse?"  
  
"Don't be silly! Of course you should take her up on it! Why in the regions would you even consider passing up the chance to become a mystic? What, you'd rather stay as some lowlife human?" He shook his head. "What you ought to do is accept Asellus's gift, then run away and don't look back."  
  
"That seems ungrateful." Emelia lowered her chin on her hand, thoughtful. A smile crept up. "You're just telling me all this to get back at Asellus for whatever she did to you, right? You don't really care what happens to me."  
  
Zozma pretended shock. "Oh, that's just a horrible thing to say!" He smirked. "You're not completely right. You are one of the more entertaining humans. It would be a shame to have you end up as just another part of the Charm Lord's collection. Even staying human would be better than that." He stretched out his arms. "Freedom, Emelia. That's what life's all about. Endless opportunity. Don't imprison yourself with any one thing. Or any one person. Just look at all the mystics who live here. All their lives revolve around their Lord. Tell me how happy they look? What's all their devotion gotten them?" He blew out a breath. "Well, enough of this. You've been warned." He rose from the bed and reached into his worn clothing and produced a small green crystal. He tossed it to her and she caught it with one hand.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"Just in case you actually decide to take my advice. If you want to leave this dreary place, you'll need help hiding from Asellus. Just take this crystal to the Eternal Flame and toss it in the fire. Don't ask, I'm sure you'll get the tour soon enough. It'll signal me to come for you."  
  
"How charitable," Emelia said sarcastically, looking down at the crystal.  
  
"Just keep it. Just in case." With that, he faded from view, leaving Emelia alone in her room.  
  
Emelia looked down at the crudely cut crystal of deep green. She wasn't sure what to make of the visit. So much of it fit into her suspicions, yet she didn't want to believe that her friend had changed that much. Deep inside, she was still the same Asellus. She could see it. Still, she hid the crystal inside the folds of her dress. Just in case. 


	7. The Invitation

Asellus lifted herself from under the covers of her bed and watched Gina's soft form rise and fall from breaths that were still ragged and tired. She idly reached over and allowed her cold hand to hover over Gina's bare shoulders. Asellus didn't dare actually touch her, for fear of waking her up.

Poor thing. She tried so hard. And it wasn't as if Asellus didn't enjoy what they had just done together. She loved every moment of it and she could see how Gina poured her every being into the union of their bodies. It just wasn't enough to satisfy her. Not nearly enough.

It certainly wasn't Gina's fault. Asellus loved Gina, loved everything about her, but it wasn't enough. She was the Charm Lord and her tastes and appetites far exceeded what any single person could give. She needed more. And though she knew Gina would always give herself completely over to her, it sadly wasn't enough.

So, Asellus slipped out from the under the covers. She gazed over Gina's sleeping form and felt just a hint of guilt at leaving her here. The moment passed. She had no reason to feel guilty. This was simply who she was, this was simply her nature. She was sure Gina would understand, in time.

Though there was no light in the room, Asellus's mystic eyes spotted her clothes easily. She bent to pick up the elaborate garb of the Charm Lord, but stopped. No, she thought to herself. She should not go to her as the Charm Lord. Emelia was not meant to be lorded over. She was her friend. She should go to her as a friend, Asellus resolved. Still undressed, she walked over to a closet that held a set of clothes she'd not laid eyes on, let alone worn, for many years.

When she put the old dress, she was struck by how strange it felt on her. Not that it didn't fit. Physically, she had not changed at all. But the fabric felt odd on her, felt awkward and uncomfortable in places, almost as if telling her she didn't belong in these simple clothes anymore.

Asellus put a hand to her chest. She could hardly believe it. She was nervous. She almost didn't want to go to Emelia. How strange that a being like her would be afraid of meeting an old friend.

Once dressed, Asellus bent over Gina and allowed her sleeping breath to waft up and touch her cold cheek. Asellus allowed her lips to run over a few words, though she didn't speak them out loud, "Please understand, Gina, please." And with that, she slipped out of the room as a fading shadow.

---------------------------------------------

Emelia found she couldn't sleep. She had put on her old clothes and was sitting on the bed, trying to digest how she got here. She held up the small, green crystal Zozma had given her, examined it, and put it away. What was that guy up to? She touched her twin Agunis for reassurance, a habit she'd learned from her Gradius days. What had she gotten herself into?

Just from the party she had attended, she knew that this was a world she did not want to be around. But, at the same time, it was also a world she would hate to abandon Asellus to. And in any case, going back to the human world was a bad idea, especially after what she had done in Manhattan. That was what she got for letting her temper get the better of her.

When she looked back upon what she did in Manhattan, Emelia almost wanted to shudder. She'd really lost it back there. Sure, Fuse was the one who had ruined her life and she did very much wanted to give him his due, but actually trying to shoot him in the face in public was just crazy. She could never go back to the world she knew, not without IRPO coming for her. What came over her?

What Emelia thought was even crazier was the fact that she didn't think she was that crazy for trying to shoot Fuse in the face. She knew it was the wrong thing to think, but she couldn't help but believe that, aside from the timing of the whole thing, she hadn't done anything too wrong. He had caused her so much pain, why shouldn't she be justified in returning the favor?

And now here she was, stuck in a strange place full of strange ways, possibly in danger from a friend she might not know anymore, possibly being set up in an elaborate joke by a mystic who might have been crazy. To think all she had planned for the day was a trip to the mall.

"What are you thinking about?" Asellus's voice asked from across the room.

Emelia looked up. Stepping out from behind the dressing screen was Asellus, now attired in the slimmer, simpler dress she had worn in their travels together. She almost looked like the Asellus Emelia had traveled with, the Asellus she had always known.

"How long were you there?" Emelia asked.

Asellus snickered, a shy, stifled laugh that Emelia had learned to like when she had traveled with her. The Charm Lord glided over and took a seat on the bed by Emelia. "I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"

Emelia looked over at Asellus. She seemed different, now. She was looking down at the floor, not looking her in the eye, like a child. She sounded shy, nervous even. Not at all like the Charm Lord that had everyone's attention at the party. "What are you doing here?" Emelia asked.

"I wanted to see you, Emelia. Just knowing you're here makes this place brighter." Asellus cast her eyes at Emelia's legs. "Why aren't you at the party?"

"It just wasn't my thing." Emelia smiled. "You know, when I was a model, I used to love going to parties, but..."

"But what?"

"I don't know. It all just started getting old. I wanted...more out of life."

"Did you find what you wanted?"

Emelia stared forward. "I thought I did. But...it was all taken away from me," and she snapped her fingers, "just like that!"

At this, Asellus raised her head. "How did that happen?"

Emelia turned and stared into Asellus's eyes. When she had traveled with Asellus, those eyes had always looked sad and distant. And she could still see that sad and distant quality, except now it seemed there were no more tears to be shed by these eyes. Now there was something else in those eyes, but Emelia couldn't recognize what it was or come up with a word to describe it. "I never did tell you about any of my problems, have I?"

Asellus laughed quietly. "How could you? I was always worrying you, Gen, and Lute too much with my own dramas for you to ever attend to your own needs. You were always looking out for me." Her face grew serious. "It's my turn, now, Emelia. I'm here for you. Tell me."

So, Emelia told her friend all about Ren and the happy life she had planned with him. And she told her friend about Ren's murder, about the Joker, about Fuse, about being sent to prison. Emelia had retold this part of her life to herself so many times, she thought she had grown used to it, but now that she was telling Asellus, so many old emotions flooded into her. She felt warmth rising to her eyes and turned away, embarrassed.

Asellus reached over and took Emelia's hand.

Tears ran down Emelia's face. "I just couldn't believe it! I had all I ever wanted and it was all taken away from me, just like that! And then that IRPO bastard took away what little I had left!"

Asellus nodded. "It's terrible, to be at the mercy of everything and everyone around you. Believe me, I know."

Emelia sniffed, tried to smile. "I didn't know we had so much in common."

"It doesn't have to be that way."

Emelia sniffed, swallowed. "What do you mean?"

"What if you had the power to make sure something like that never happens to you again? What if you had the power to never feel the pain of loss, again. Would you use it?"

"No one has that level of power, Asellus."

"I do. And I want to share it with you."

Emelia gasped. So, what Zozma said was true. "What are you saying, Asellus?"

"I want to make you a mystic, Emelia. I want to give you the power to take control of the world around you, instead of always being at the mercy of it."

"Is that why you invited me here?"

"Yes." Asellus stood and turned towards her. "You're very near and dear to me, Emelia. I couldn't stand it if I lost you. As a mystic, you'll be immortal, have the power to protect yourself, those you care for. You can have everything you want!"

Emelia felt her heart speeding up, hitting the inside of her chest painfully. She didn't know where this was going to lead and she wasn't sure she was going to like it. "Wouldn't that mean...not being human, anymore?"

At this, Asellus straightened, stood tall. "Is that such a bad thing? I'm not human, anymore."

Emelia remembered a time when such a statement would have sent Asellus into tears. "Do you ever miss being human?"

"No. Not at all. What is being human? It's to be pushed around by everything around you. It's to be an insignificant speck in the universe, to be cast aside without care. It's to be powerless and weak. It's to suffer and to know that everything you hold dear can be taken away from you in an instant. No, Emelia, I don't miss being human, at all."

Emelia shut her eyes. It was hard to believe that Asellus, this Asellus that she knew, would say such things. And yet, she wasn't entirely repulsed. Indeed, she saw truth and something attractive in what Asellus spoke. "Will I...still be me?"

"Is the form we take that big a part of us? Am I not still the same Asellus you've known?"

Emelia took in a long breath before speaking. "No, you're not."

The answer clearly startled Asellus. The Charm Lord stared down in shock, but Emelia held steady. For a moment, Asellus was speechless, then, "I suppose you're right. I'm not the Asellus you've known. But let me say, since I've become Charm Lord, I've become more myself than I ever have." She picked at the sleeves of her dress and began to pace the room. "How could humans ever 'be themselves'? They're too busy being buffeted around by the world, too busy trying to survive. They have to hide their true emotions and play by the rules of the universe. And when a human does tries to live by their true nature, they're punished for it!" She stopped pacing and pressed her hands against herself. "I have the power to be me! This is who I am! And I want you to be who you are meant to be."

"And what is that?"

"Whatever you want! You won't have to live by anyone's expectations but your own! You'll decide who you'll be, not some police officer who calls you murderer."

Emelia took a deep breath. "I have to think about this."

And at this, Asellus, the Charm Lord, strode before her and sank to her knees. She clapsed her hands together and pleaded, "Emelia, please. Just say yes. I've offered my subjects freedom and power and I'm offering the same thing to you. But I don't need your obedience. I just want you to say yes. I want you to accept my gift. I want you to accept...me."

Emelia shut her eyes and for the longest time, there was no sound but the raging winds that blew outside Chateau Aiguille. "Yes, I accept."

Asellus shot up. "Really? You mean it?"

Emelia looked up into Asellus's eyes. "Yes. I mean it."

Pure relief and joy seemed to pour out from Asellus's lungs. "Oh, you have no idea what this means to me, Emelia! Thank you!"

Emelia stood. "So, how does this happen?"

The pure relief and joy that Asellus emanated suddenly disappeared. Asellus smiled, somewhat sadly. "Just shut your eyes. I'll do the rest."

Emelia hesitated, suddenly unsure. She sensed that when she shut her eyes, there would be no turning back. She bid a silent farewell to her past and shut her eyes.

First, Emelia felt Asellus's hands slowly wrapping around her arms, squeezing, holding tight. She felt cold breath against her face that trailed to her cheek, down to her neck.

Then, pain! Sharp, deep. Emelia gasped. Her eyes shot open and she saw Asellus's face buried into her neck. Emelia grunted and struggled to break free, but Asellus had an unnaturally strong hold onto her arms. The mystic pulled Emelia against her body, crushing her against that cold flesh.

Emelia felt herself already fading, her mind slowing, but she managed to marshal her thoughts into rearing her leg back and delivering a knee into Asellus's body.

The blow was just hard enough to make the Charm Lord lurch back, more in surprise than pain. Emelia took advantage of the surprise and broke free, backing away from Asellus. Emelia felt her blood, wet, cool, and thick on her neck. Her mind raced over options for escape. She thought about the crystal Zozma had given her, the pathway Ildon had shown her, the guns she didn't have the strength to use.

She couldn't move. She had lost too much blood already and was too weak. All Emelia could do was gaze at Asellus, who now looked like nothing she had ever seen before. With her blood running over her lips and down her chin, her face in a snarl that bore teeth and rage, all Emelia could see in what she thought was her old friend was lust and hunger. Was that what she was going to become? "No..." she whispered.

Then, that animalistic face faded, replaced by something that looked very sad, rejected. Emelia almost felt pity for her. But that didn't stop Asellus from stepping forward and claiming her.

---------------------------------------------

Once Emelia's body had gone limp and still in her arms, Asellus lifted her mouth from her friend's neck. The Charm Lord felt tears in her eyes, felt them running down her cheek, no doubt mixing with the blood on her face.

She said no. In the end, she said no. She had rejected all that Asellus had offered her. She had rejected...her. Why?

Asellus had only one step to do, now, in order to begin Emelia's transformation into a mystic. But, suddenly, she didn't know what to do. How could Emelia turn against her like that? Was she truly so repulsive? How could anyone deny the Charm Lord? Hadn't she grown beyond that?

Asellus looked down at Emelia's lifeless face. Why? Why did she say no? Did she not understand what she was being offered?

Asellus shut her eyes and for just a moment, considered leaving Emelia as she was. It was what she wanted, after all.

But no. That wasn't going to happen. This was as much about herself as about Emelia and she would not lose her like this. Emelia would forgive, understand, in time. Asellus lifted Emelia's cooling face to her own and pushed her friend's lifeless lips into her own.

The Mystic's Kiss was the difference between a newborn mystic and a rotting corpse. Asellus exhaled every bit of herself into Emelia and when she had no more breath to give, lifted herself from her friend. The Charm Lord waited and saw the telltale sign that the Kiss had worked. Emelia convulsed, choked, and began to breathe, though she remained unconscious. She would be like that for a while.

Asellus lifted Emelia and set her on the bed. The blood that had already been spilled splattered upon the bed, but Asellus saw that the bite marks on her neck had already clotted. In time, it would heal and fade. Her mind was already on making preparations for Emelia's eventual awakening. Yet, when Asellus looked down on the still face of her friend, she couldn't help but feel an accusation of betrayal behind that face.

"Please understand, Emelia, please..." 


End file.
